Scientists have successfully developed a prosthetic arm that is connected directly to the patient's bones, muscles, and the nerve endings. This marks the first time in medical history that a robotic prosthesis have been connected using this technique and with such favorable results. The development team is highly optimistic that this discovery will be the beginning of countless opportunities for patients requiring physical rehabilitation in the future.
Several neuromuscular interfaces have been implanted into the prosthetic arm that was given to the arm amputee patient, and scientists say that this is the first artificial body part of it's kind to exhibit such effectiveness while also maintaining long-term stability. The study's lead author, Dr. Max Ortiz-Catalan, A research scientist from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, said that the work that they have achieved will surpass laboratory testing an analysis because it will actually allow the patient to use the prostheses for real life challenges.
The patient who received this medical breakthrough has been an arm amputee for 10 years and was using an electrode-controlled prosthetic arm prior to this. This type of prosthesis has been known to be unreliable at times, as well as limiting, since electrodes placed over the patient's skin do not give them full control. With this new technology, scientists have made use of osseointegration to create a stable fusion between the implanted prosthesis and the patient's actual bone. According to Dr. Ortiz-Catalan, "The artificial arm is directly attached to the skeleton, thus providing mechanical stability. Then the human biological control system, that is nerves and muscles, is also interfaced to the machine's control system via muscular electrodes. This creates an intimate union between the body and the machine; between biology and mechatronics."
The osseointegration technology was instigated by another member of the Swedish team, associate Prof. Ricard Brånemark, and his colleagues. Together, the scientists made sure that there is close proximity between the patient's nerves and the electrodes from the device so that muscle activity from adjacent muscle groups does not interfere with the prostheses. This enables the patient to move the device without losing control of it.