Bionic hand sized for "Milo" before his surgery
A patient identified as “Milo” injured his leg and shoulder in a motorcycle accident ten years ago. Although his leg recovered, his right shoulder was paralyzed. Nervous tissue replacement surgery allowed him to move his arm, but he was still unable to move his hand.
“Milo” has opted to have his dysfunctional hand amputated and replaced with a bionic hand.
These bionic hands, manufactured by the German prosthetic company Otto Bock, pinches and grasps in response to two sensors connected to nerves in the forearm. “Milo” would use the same brain signals that would power similar movements in a real hand. The patient must rotate the wrist manually with his functioning hand.
Last year, a 24-year-old Austrian named Patrick was the first patient to voluntarily receive a bionic hand. He can now open a bottle quickly and tie his own shoes.
Professor Oskar Aszmann, a Viennese surgeon, has been working closely with Otto Bock in advocating bionic hands for voluntary amputee patients. He says that the procedure is much better than current motor function treatment, which involves years of surgery.
Contains information from BBC.
