Prosthetics & Orthotics Advances in MedTech
Ground-breaking advances in prosthetics and orthotics are giving patients capabilities that few people imagined a decade ago. The goal is no longer to simply replace a limb or correct biomechanical issues. Research in prosthetics and orthotics advancements is aiming for people to use artificial limbs just as anyone uses their arms or legs.
These seven advances in prosthetics and orthotics are promising greater functionality and improved quality of life:
Microprocessor-Controlled Joints
First developed in the 1990s, microprocessor-controlled joints can adapt a prosthesis to a person’s unique patterns and behaviors, improving overall mobility. A recent study reviewing data on microprocessor-controlled knees shows they also provide better patient outcomes and economic benefits. In a 10-year period, for every 100 patients, microprocessor-controlled knees resulted in 82 fewer falls that led to major injury, 62 fewer minor falls, 16 fewer instances of osteoarthritis, and 11 lives saved as compared to non-microprocessor-controlled knees.
Osseointegration
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Osseointegrated Prostheses for the Rehabilitation of Amputees (OPRA) in 2015. OPRA uses titanium implants that connect the prosthesis directly to the patient’s residual limb. This design eliminates the socket component of a prosthetic limb, as well as the discomfort, pressure sores, and pain that can accompany its use.
Mind-Controlled Prosthetics Technology
A patient trial has provided data on the use of a mind-controlled robotic arm developed by Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. Researchers reported in 2016 that they had achieved the ability for a patient to move parts of a prosthetic hand leveraging data from brain mapping. In initial tests, researchers recruited a patient scheduled for brain mapping to correct epileptic seizures. During that procedure, the patient’s neurosurgeon placed an electrode array on the patient’s brain over the area that controls arm and hand movement.
The software that the Johns Hopkins team developed recorded the areas of the brain that were involved in corresponding movements. This data allowed a patient with a prosthetic arm to use it by “thinking” about the arm and hand movements he wanted to make.
Enhancing Prosthetics With the Sense of Touch
Researchers at the University of Chicago, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, backed by $7 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, are working to develop brain-controlled prosthetics technology that allows patients to regain the sense of touch.
The robotic neuroprosthetic system these researchers are testing involves implanting electrodes in the parts of the brain that process touch sensations. The prosthetic hand used in the research contains sensors that detect feelings, such as soft, rough, or sharp, and generates electrical signals sent to corresponding areas of the brain.
Enhancing Prosthetics With the Sense of Touch
Researchers at the University of Chicago, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, backed by $7 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, are working to develop brain-controlled prosthetics technology that allows patients to regain the sense of touch.
The robotic neuroprosthetic system these researchers are testing involves implanting electrodes in the parts of the brain that process touch sensations. The prosthetic hand used in the research contains sensors that detect feelings, such as soft, rough, or sharp, and generates electrical signals sent to corresponding areas of the brain.
3D Printed Orthotics & Prosthetics
3D printers and new materials are enabling faster and more customized orthotics, prosthetic covers, and sockets. 3D printing materials are not yet able to equal the durability of leg prosthetics made by legacy processes, but that could change in the near future.
The cost-effectiveness and ease of 3D printing have led to a do-it-yourself movement. E-NABLE, a network of volunteers, shares 3D-printable prosthetic hands, such as the collection featured on the National Institutes of Health website, which can be used to care for patients living in economically disadvantaged regions. They’re also beneficial for children who need new limbs more often as they grow.
Surgical Options: Rotationplasty
A surgical option is available in leg amputation that uses the lower part of the leg, including the foot and ankle, rotating it 180 degrees to face backward to create a new “knee.” The backward-facing foot fits into a custom lower limb. This option is especially advantageous for children with bone cancer because the bones will continue to grow.
Rehabilitation Robotics
Advancements in the area of rehabilitation robots include physiotherapy for lower limbs. Now, when patients in rehab are working to regain their ability to walk, it often requires multiple therapists to support the patient. A therapeutic robot can replace the need for multiple health professionals to assist in therapy and even enable the patient to work alone or at home.
Skills for the New World
As technology continues to disrupt prosthetics and orthotics treatments, physicians and therapists will need education and training on advancements that can benefit their patients. Tech tools, including augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), can provide physicians and med students with information and guidance they need as they learn new techniques and use cutting-edge technology. They can also connect collaborative teams during consultations or procedures.
With advancements in prosthetics and orthotics and healthcare practitioners in new prosthetics and orthotics technologies, the outlook grows increasingly certain that patients can have full functionality, decreased pain and discomfort, and enhanced quality of life.
