If you don’t know what a prosthetic, or prostheses is, it is an artificial (fake) body part. If you are thinking of the fake limb at that one Halloween party that was covered in fake red blood, that’s not it. It is a prosthetic, but not the kind of prosthetic that people use in daily life. What’s the difference? A person would use a prosthetic if they were born without a certain limb, or had a limb surgically removed. In most of our lives we will experience loss: loss of a loved one, loss of an animal, losing our keys or phone, but some of us will never experience the loss of a limb. The difficult part is adjusting your life with that missing limb. No more buying a pair of shoes or no more use of another glove. How would you handle life if you lost an arm or leg? Some of us would cope without that arm or leg because we’ll accept the fact that it’s gone, but some might not be as fortunate with the mental stability of losing a limb. Prosthetics gives people that second chance that they desperately need to feel “normal” again; to be able to walk their dog, walk on the sands of their favorite beach, be able to eat their favorite meal with two hands or be able to fill out the shirt sleeve without feeling like their arm is completely gone.
Types
There are so many prosthetics that are available out in the world. There are prosthetics for your eyes, teeth, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, breasts and joints that are available. For now, this page will focus on the prosthetics that mainly deal with arms and legs because that is the most common prosthetic that people lose. There are four types of prosthetics:
Transradial: where an artificial limb is replaced where an arm is missing below the elbow
Transhumeral: where an artificial limb is replaced where an arm is missing above the elbow
Transtibial: where an artificial limb is replaced where a leg is missing below the knee
Transfemoral: where an artificial limb is replaced where a leg is missing above the knee
History
Prosthetics were made to help those to perform daily activities: dressing themselves, walking, eating or just to look and feel normal. The earliest known prosthetic in recorded history was a toe made from wood and leather. It was attached to a mummy that was discovered in the 1800s. In 300 B.C. the Romans produced the first prosthetic leg. It was made from bronze, iron and wood. Later, during the Renaissance era, prosthetics were made out of copper, steel, iron and wood because those were the materials that were accessible and able to be molded into a leg, arm, hand and/or foot. It was not until the 1970s that plastic, polycarbonates, resins, laminates and carbon fiber were introduced as the main material for prosthetics, since they were light and easy-to-clean substitutes instead of wood and leather.
Currently a typical prosthetic device is made of plastic, titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber because of how lightweight the materials are. Now, researchers are perfecting another kind of prosthetic where they can surgically implant electrodes to send signals from your brain to a prosthetic limb and have the limb act as a normal arm would. But if an implant is not what you are looking for, a prosthetic for your leg can range between $5,000 to $50,000. An upper extremity device (arm) could cost between $3,000 to $30,000.
Prosthetic Companies
The modern prosthetic that we have now will do the job, but comfort is always the number one factor when it comes to those that utilize prosthetics. Those that manufacture prosthetics look to robotics, brain-computer interfaces and 3-D printing to help better prosthetics and steer it to be more fitting and stylish. According to Technavio (www.businesswire.com), the top 5 vendors in the orthopedic prosthetics market, from now until 2021 are:
This company manufactures advanced microprocessor artificial limbs and offers prosthetics,
wheelchairs, orthotics and special seating.
This company manufactures, designs and customizes prosthetics and orthotics. They offer prosthetics for upper and lower extremities.They are also known for their prosthetic suspension lock system.
This company manufactures, develops and sells non-invasive orthopedic devices, such as: braces, support products, compression therapy and prosthetics.
This company is a German prosthetic company that has a wide sale and has distribution channels in over 50 countries in orthotics, prosthetics, mobility solutions and medical care.
This company manufactures, designs and distributes prosthetics and solutions for amputation surgeries.
References
Thurston, Alan J. “PARÉ AND PROSTHETICS: THE EARLY HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.” ANZ Journal of Surgery, Blackwell Publishing Asia, 28 Oct. 2007, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1445-2197.2007.04330.x/full.Accessed 18 February 2018
World, Disabled. “Prostheses and Prosthetics: Artificial Limbs News and Information.” Disabled World, Disabled World, 26 June 2017, www.disabled-world.com/assistivedevices/prostheses/. Accessed 18 February 2018
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, March 8, 2015. “Timeline: Prosthetic Limbs Through the Years.” UPMC HealthBeat, 13 June 2017, share.upmc.com/2015/03/timeline-prosthetic-limbs-years/. Accessed 19 February 2018
“Top 5 Vendors in the Orthopedic Prosthetics Market from 2017 to 2021: Technavio.” Top 5 Vendors in the Orthopedic Prosthetics Market from 2017 to 2021: Technavio | Business Wire, 1 June 2017, www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170601006465/en/Top-5-Vendors-Orthopedic-Prosthetics-Market-2017. Accessed 20 February 2018
“Artificial Limb.” How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Artificial-Limb.html. Accessed 24 March 2018
Introduction
If you don’t know what a prosthetic, or prostheses is, it is an artificial (fake) body part. If you are thinking of the fake limb at that one Halloween party that was covered in fake red blood, that’s not it. It is a prosthetic, but not the kind of prosthetic that people use in daily life. What’s the difference? A person would use a prosthetic if they were born without a certain limb, or had a limb surgically removed. In most of our lives we will experience loss: loss of a loved one, loss of an animal, losing our keys or phone, but some of us will never experience the loss of a limb. The difficult part is adjusting your life with that missing limb. No more buying a pair of shoes or no more use of another glove. How would you handle life if you lost an arm or leg? Some of us would cope without that arm or leg because we’ll accept the fact that it’s gone, but some might not be as fortunate with the mental stability of losing a limb. Prosthetics gives people that second chance that they desperately need to feel “normal” again; to be able to walk their dog, walk on the sands of their favorite beach, be able to eat their favorite meal with two hands or be able to fill out the shirt sleeve without feeling like their arm is completely gone.Types
There are so many prosthetics that are available out in the world. There are prosthetics for your eyes, teeth, arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, breasts and joints that are available. For now, this page will focus on the prosthetics that mainly deal with arms and legs because that is the most common prosthetic that people lose. There are four types of prosthetics:Transradial: where an artificial limb is replaced where an arm is missing below the elbow
Transhumeral: where an artificial limb is replaced where an arm is missing above the elbow
Transtibial: where an artificial limb is replaced where a leg is missing below the knee
Transfemoral: where an artificial limb is replaced where a leg is missing above the knee
History
Prosthetics were made to help those to perform daily activities: dressing themselves, walking, eating or just to look and feel normal. The earliest known prosthetic in recorded history was a toe made from wood and leather. It was attached to a mummy that was discovered in the 1800s. In 300 B.C. the Romans produced the first prosthetic leg. It was made from bronze, iron and wood. Later, during the Renaissance era, prosthetics were made out of copper, steel, iron and wood because those were the materials that were accessible and able to be molded into a leg, arm, hand and/or foot. It was not until the 1970s that plastic, polycarbonates, resins, laminates and carbon fiber were introduced as the main material for prosthetics, since they were light and easy-to-clean substitutes instead of wood and leather.
Currently a typical prosthetic device is made of plastic, titanium, aluminum and carbon fiber because of how lightweight the materials are. Now, researchers are perfecting another kind of prosthetic where they can surgically implant electrodes to send signals from your brain to a prosthetic limb and have the limb act as a normal arm would. But if an implant is not what you are looking for, a prosthetic for your leg can range between $5,000 to $50,000. An upper extremity device (arm) could cost between $3,000 to $30,000.
Prosthetic Companies
The modern prosthetic that we have now will do the job, but comfort is always the number one factor when it comes to those that utilize prosthetics. Those that manufacture prosthetics look to robotics, brain-computer interfaces and 3-D printing to help better prosthetics and steer it to be more fitting and stylish. According to Technavio (www.businesswire.com), the top 5 vendors in the orthopedic prosthetics market, from now until 2021 are:This company manufactures advanced microprocessor artificial limbs and offers prosthetics,
wheelchairs, orthotics and special seating.
This company manufactures, designs and customizes prosthetics and orthotics. They offer prosthetics for upper and lower extremities.They are also known for their prosthetic suspension lock system.
This company manufactures, develops and sells non-invasive orthopedic devices, such as: braces, support products, compression therapy and prosthetics.
This company is a German prosthetic company that has a wide sale and has distribution channels in over 50 countries in orthotics, prosthetics, mobility solutions and medical care.
This company manufactures, designs and distributes prosthetics and solutions for amputation surgeries.
References
Thurston, Alan J. “PARÉ AND PROSTHETICS: THE EARLY HISTORY OF ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.” ANZ Journal of Surgery,Blackwell Publishing Asia, 28 Oct. 2007, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1445-2197.2007.04330.x/full.Accessed 18 February 2018
World, Disabled. “Prostheses and Prosthetics: Artificial Limbs News and Information.” Disabled World, Disabled World, 26 June 2017, www.disabled-world.com/assistivedevices/prostheses/. Accessed 18 February 2018
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, March 8, 2015. “Timeline: Prosthetic Limbs Through the Years.” UPMC HealthBeat, 13 June 2017, share.upmc.com/2015/03/timeline-prosthetic-limbs-years/. Accessed 19 February 2018
“Top 5 Vendors in the Orthopedic Prosthetics Market from 2017 to 2021: Technavio.” Top 5 Vendors in the Orthopedic Prosthetics Market from 2017 to 2021: Technavio | Business Wire, 1 June 2017, www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170601006465/en/Top-5-Vendors-Orthopedic-Prosthetics-Market-2017. Accessed 20 February 2018
“Artificial Limb.” How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Artificial-Limb.html. Accessed 24 March 2018
“The Cost of a New Limb Can Add up Over a Lifetime.” Hospital for Special Surgery, www.hss.edu/newsroom_prosthetic-leg-cost-over-lifetime.asp.
https://www.disabled-world.com/assistivedevices/prostheses/prosthetics-costs.php. Accessed 24 March 2018