The Progression of Prosthetics Hannah Rowe Madison High School Mr. Snelgrove March 26, 2018 Abstract This paper covers the progression of prosthetic limbs over the years, as well as how the technological advancements of prostheses can affect someone’s life who has suffered from limb loss. It goes over the benefits and disadvantages of having a prosthetic limb, and a portion of the process of what it takes to create an artificial limb. The Progression of Prosthetics “Each year in the United States, an estimated 158,000 persons undergo amputation, with the overall number of amputations being performed increasing,” (Raichle et al., 2008, 961-972), as well as the statistic that “One in every 2,000 …show more content…
(Prosthesis) These prosthetic devices are used to supply a sense of comfort to the amputee that their missing limb is still there, even if it is just a substitute. Prosthetics can improve mobility as well as allow the amputee to stay independent in completing occupational and everyday activities. They are most commonly made out of variations of plastics and lightweight metals like titanium and aluminum, so the amputee feels as though the prosthetic is more limb-like because of its lightweight nature. One of these limbs can cost anywhere from $5,000- $50,000 and will have to be replaced every three to five years, depending on how advanced the prosthetic is. Whereas, when they were first being developed, prosthetics were made out of materials such as wood, rubber, and metal, which would have caused great difficulty while trying to function and live everyday …show more content…
“Ancient literature and archeological finds show the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and ancient Indian societies all fashioned artificial body parts from wood or metal. Prosthetics were either minimally functional decorations meant to hide a missing limb or functional attachments that barely resembled natural body parts” (After the accident: Amputation, 2011, p. 14) However, the real progression in prosthetics took place in the mid-late 1500’s, when a surgeon of the name Ambroise Paré introduced modern amputation procedures and new inventions for prostheses such as a peg leg that had the function to kneel, and the knee lock control. Both of which are basic techniques used in the development of prosthetics