Prosthetic Limbs
Prosthetic Limbs, The Past, The Present, The Future
Prosthetic limbs have been used for centuries. The long and winding road to the computerized leg began about 1500 B.C. and has been evolving ever since. There have been many refinements to the first peg legs and hand hooks that have led to the highly individualized fitting and casting of today 's devices. But to appreciate how far the prosthetics field has come, we must first look to the ancient Egyptians. The first prosthetic limbs are believed to be pioneered by the Egyptian Empire during 4000 B.C. Their rudimentary, prosthetic limbs were made of fiber and it is believed that they were worn more for a sense of “wholeness” than function. However, scientists recently discovered what is said to be the world 's first prosthetic toe from an Egyptian mummy and it appears to have been functional. In the past materials such as steel, iron, bronze, and copper were all sued to replace limbs. Throughout history as bronze, iron, copper and steel were discovered they were correspondingly used to make limbs. The evolution of prosthetics is a long and storied history, from its primitive beginnings to its sophisticated present, to the exciting visions of the future. As in the development of any other field, some ideas and inventions have worked and been expanded upon, such as the fixed-position foot, while others have fallen by the wayside or become obsolete, such as the use of iron in prosthesis. Consider the artificial hands and legs of the Dark Ages -- nearly 2,000 years later. Armored knights of this era often relied on iron prosthetic limbs, usually crafted by the same metalworker who made their armor. These bulky limbs were admittedly not very functional and were actually used more for the purpose of hiding the lost limb, which was considered at the time to be an embarrassing deformity. In addition to being heavy, iron rusted over time due to exposure to oxygen. The rust weakened the iron limbs causing
Prosthetic limbs have been used for centuries. The long and winding road to the computerized leg began about 1500 B.C. and has been evolving ever since. There have been many refinements to the first peg legs and hand hooks that have led to the highly individualized fitting and casting of today 's devices. But to appreciate how far the prosthetics field has come, we must first look to the ancient Egyptians. The first prosthetic limbs are believed to be pioneered by the Egyptian Empire during 4000 B.C. Their rudimentary, prosthetic limbs were made of fiber and it is believed that they were worn more for a sense of “wholeness” than function. However, scientists recently discovered what is said to be the world 's first prosthetic toe from an Egyptian mummy and it appears to have been functional. In the past materials such as steel, iron, bronze, and copper were all sued to replace limbs. Throughout history as bronze, iron, copper and steel were discovered they were correspondingly used to make limbs. The evolution of prosthetics is a long and storied history, from its primitive beginnings to its sophisticated present, to the exciting visions of the future. As in the development of any other field, some ideas and inventions have worked and been expanded upon, such as the fixed-position foot, while others have fallen by the wayside or become obsolete, such as the use of iron in prosthesis. Consider the artificial hands and legs of the Dark Ages -- nearly 2,000 years later. Armored knights of this era often relied on iron prosthetic limbs, usually crafted by the same metalworker who made their armor. These bulky limbs were admittedly not very functional and were actually used more for the purpose of hiding the lost limb, which was considered at the time to be an embarrassing deformity. In addition to being heavy, iron rusted over time due to exposure to oxygen. The rust weakened the iron limbs causing
Cited: Bardhi, Ariola. "Past, Present, and Future of Artificial Limb Design | ." The EJMB Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. . Clements, Isaac Perry. "HowStuffWorks "The History of Prosthetic Limbs"." HowStuffWorks "Science". N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. . Powers, Sally. "Limbs of Steel | Popular Science." Popular Science | New Technology, Science News, The Future Now. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. . "Prosthesis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. .