Abstract
Functional prostheses have been used by amputees since ancient times, and many of the early designs have anticipated modern hardware. Many of the technological advances have emerged from needs of the large amputee population created by various wars. Advances in surgery have enabled better healing and comfort for amputees. Design of an artificial arm with grasping capability was patented in the U.S. in 1912, and is still in use today. While most arm losses are due to accident, most leg losses are caused by disease, particularly those involving dysvascularity. There is intense research effort to improve the restoration of limbs, particularly in the fields of robotics and bionics.
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Craelius, W. (2022). Introduction. In: Prosthetic Designs for Restoring Human Limb Function. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31077-6_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31077-6_1
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