Prosthetic Limbs Research Paper

Introduction to prosthetic limbs
One clear example of the great technological development in terms of improvement of people's everyday lifestyle is the creation and betterment of prosthetic limbs. Over the recent years there have been constant advancements in artificial limbs, such as the usage of new plastics and materials during the process of creation, the invention of better sockets and interfaces, which allow the patients to get used to the prosthesis more quickly, the development of more realistic designs, which provide the user with the opportunity to feel more comfortable exposing their artificial limbs, and many others. Nevertheless, this technology cannot be described as a recent invention at all. Prosthesis actually date back from …show more content…
While in the past artificial limbs merely resembled the body part they were supposed to replace, now, with the help of artificial intelligence and computer aided design, they are not only more similar-looking to an actual limb, but also functional to an extend that even extraordinary activities and sports, such as cycling for example, could still be enjoyed by the user. There are four main types of artificial limbs: transradial prosthesis - replacing a missing limb below the elbow, transhumeral prosthesis – replacing a limb above the elbow, transtibial prosthesis – replacing a limb below the knee and transfemorath prosthesis - replacing a limb above the knee. While nowadays there is a variety of types of prosthetic limbs, there are several main components, which remain the same. The socket of a prosthetic limb interferes with the patient's residual limb. Therefore it should fit the limb carefully in order to prevent any damage to the skin. The suspension system keeps the …show more content…
An arm prosthesis' main purpose is to functionally replace a limb and resemble its appearance. By combining both these aspects, the myoelectric prostheses are both able to mimic human motion and anatomy and preserve a natural look, without sacrificing one for the other. Due to the great technological advancement in the area, the latest artificial limbs possess various new qualities. The latest improvements include elbows that bend and extend with muscle signals, rotating wrists and thumbs that can change their orientation to different hand positions. A myoelectric-controlled prosthesis is an externally powered artificial limb that you control with the electrical signals generated naturally by your own muscles. It uses a battery and electric motors to function and it attaches to the remaining part of the limb using suction via a custom fabricated socket. The sensors fabricated into the prosthetic socket detect muscle and nerve activity and then translate it into information that the electric motors use to move one's joints. If muscle signals cannot be used to control the prosthesis, one may be able to use switches with a rocker or pull-push or touch pad. The result is that the artificial limb feels like a real one and has the ability to perform a wide range of operations. One can control the strength and speed of the limb’s movements and grip by varying the muscle intensity.