A woman has been called the "real bionic woman" after she became the first recipient of a novel prosthetic limb that got fused with her skeletal and nervous systems.
Losing Her Right Arm
The woman, Karin, who is 50 years old and from Sweden, was fitted with the prosthetic limb a couple of years ago after she lost her right hand over 20 years ago in a farming accident. Following her accident, she spent several years suffering with phantom limb pain. She also found conventional artificial limbs uncomfortable and unsuitable for regular daily use.
Karin shares that it felt like her hand was constantly inside a meat grinder. This led to heightened stress. In fact, she even had to take high painkiller doses.
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Prosthetic Limb Fused With Bionic Woman's Nervous and Skeletal Systems
Now, according to a new study, Karin is capable of doing 80% of what she did when she had both hands. She can even feel sensations in the prosthetic limb.
The artificial limb has been able to work for three years now. Because of this, the limb has become highly integrated into the life of Karin. With the prosthetic, she can cook meals, turn doorknobs, and go on with several daily activities.
Lead researcher Dr. Max Ortiz-Catalan explains that though they are still far from a biological hand's functions, this is definitely a huge step forward.
For the development of Karin's bionic limb, a multidisciplinary team of surgeons and engineers from Australia, Italy, and Sweden worked together. The study was headed by Professor Rickard Brånemark, who is an associate professor at Sweden's Gothenburg University and a research affiliate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The study efforts began in 2019 and details the first-ever neuromusculoskeletal permanent implant.
Brånemark explains that by mixing osseointegration with reconstructive surgery, AI, and implanted electrodes, they were able to unprecedentedly restore the function of humans, adding that the main goals are to offer more natural replacement methods for lost limbs and to boost the quality of life for those dealing with amputations.
The team paired osseointegration, which involves connecting bones to implanted electrodes in the muscles and nerves, with a targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) surgery. This surgery rearranges the muscles and nerves in the residual limb and connects them with the other remaining muscles.
When linked to the metal implant, Karin's new prosthetic arm, which has been called Mia Hand and was made by the Italian firm Prensilia, translates bone and nervous system activity into the device. Karin can also voluntarily take it off.
The collaborative operations of these elements mimics how the brain relays messages to the body for the body to move.
Because the nerves successfully work, the research explained that Karin's bionic hand also has a limited sense of touch. Professor Christian Cipriani from Italy's Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, explains that the procedure is remarkably noteworthy as it serves as a consolidation of robotic and prosthetic technologies that are available and that could gravely impact the lives of people.
The team thinks that amputees could benefit from the results the same way that Karin did. Karin also shared that daily life became easier after she underwent the surgery procedure in 2018 and started using the prosthetic limb mid-2019.
Dr. Ortiz-Catalan explains that Karin is the first person who has a below-elbow amputation that was able to receive the new concept for prosthetics. Typically, amputations that are below-elbow come with challenges, as noted by Brånemark. Hence, the achieved functionality serves as a vital milestone in the field.
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