Prosthetic News and Research

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Prosthetic (Prosthesis) devices, such as an artificial leg, that replace a part of the body. Prostheses are typically used to replace parts lost by injury (traumatic) or missing from birth (congenital) or to supplement defective body parts. Inside the body, artificial heart valves are in common use with artificial hearts and lungs seeing less common use but under active technology development. Other medical devices and aids that can be considered prosthetics include artificial eyes, palatal obturator, gastric bands, and dentures.

Cessation of antibiotic prophylaxis in dentistry led to no increase in infective endocarditis

Sweden is one of the few countries that have removed the dental health recommendation to give prophylactic antibiotics to people at a higher risk of infection of the heart valves, so-called infective endocarditis.

17 Feb 2022

Novel wearable soft robotic armband could be a game changer for users of prosthetic hands

Typing on a keyboard, pressing buttons on a remote control or braiding a child's hair has remained elusive for prosthetic hand users.

11 Feb 2022

First of its kind ‘living medicine’ designed to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria on medical implants

Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation and Pulmobiotics S.L have created the first 'living medicine' to treat antibiotic-resistant bacteria growing on the surfaces of medical implants. The researchers created the treatment by removing a common bacteria's ability to cause disease and repurposing it to attack harmful microbes instead.

6 Oct 2021

Duke neurobiologists show how the rigors of natural selection and evolution have shaped the retinas

If you wanted to design the most perfect, low-energy, light-detecting device for a future camera or a prosthetic retina, you'd reach for something called 'efficient coding theory,' to set out the array of sensors.

29 Sep 2021

New breakthrough in the development of more natural and continuous BCI control systems

For the first time ever, the intention of a continuous movement was able to be read out from non-invasive brain signals at TU Graz. This success enables more natural and non-invasive control of neuroprostheses to be carried out in real-time.

27 Sep 2021

First-of-its-kind bionic arm restores natural behaviors in patients with upper limb amputations

Cleveland Clinic researchers have engineered a first-of-its-kind bionic arm for patients with upper-limb amputations that allows wearers to think, behave and function like a person without an amputation, according to new findings published in Science Robotics.

1 Sep 2021

Cultured cartilage cells from the nasal septum could help relieve osteoarthritis in the knee

Cartilage cells from the nasal septum can not only help repair cartilage injuries in the knee – according to researchers from the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel, they can also withstand the chronic inflammatory tissue environment in osteoarthritis and even counteract the inflammation.

1 Sep 2021

UT Southwestern orthopedic specialist performs first AR shoulder replacement surgery in Texas

The preoperative shoulder CT scan is entered into special software, which then generates a 3D model of the patient's anatomy. Physicians use the model to examine the patient's anatomy, plan incision points, mark the points for the anchor pins, and adjust the prosthetic device.

28 Aug 2021

Magnetic beads could offer much more precise control of prosthetic limbs

For people with amputation who have prosthetic limbs, one of the greatest challenges is controlling the prosthesis so that it moves the same way a natural limb would. Most prosthetic limbs are controlled using electromyography, a way of recording electrical activity from the muscles, but this approach provides only limited control of the prosthesis.

19 Aug 2021

Soft, low-cost neuroprosthetic hand offers amputees real-time tactile control

For the more than 5 million people in the world who have undergone an upper-limb amputation, prosthetics have come a long way.

16 Aug 2021

Using liquid metal sensors and AI to create a more natural prosthetic device

Each fingertip has more than 3,000 touch receptors, which largely respond to pressure. Humans rely heavily on sensation in their fingertips when manipulating an object. The lack of this sensation presents a unique challenge for individuals with upper limb amputations.

15 Jul 2021

New optic nerve stimulation protocol develops personalized visual signals to help the blind

Stimulation of the nervous system with neurotechnology has opened up new avenues for treating human disorders, such as prosthetic arms and legs that restore the sense of touch in amputees, prosthetic fingertips that provide detailed sensory feedback with varying touch resolution, and intraneural stimulation to help the blind by giving sensations of sight.

17 Jun 2021

Bruisable artificial skin opens up opportunities for detecting damage in prosthetic devices

When someone bumps their elbow against a wall, they not only feel pain but also might experience bruising. Robots and prosthetic limbs don't have these warning signs, which could lead to further injury.

16 Jun 2021

Researchers devise new way to design clot-prone grafts for dialysis

People with end-stage renal disease often undergo hemodialysis, a life-sustaining blood-filtering treatment.

11 Jun 2021

New 3D printing process helps build tailor-make artificial body parts, other medical devices

Using a new 3D printing process, University of Nottingham researchers have discovered how to tailor-make artificial body parts and other medical devices with built-in functionality that offers better shape and durability, while cutting the risk of bacterial infection at the same time.

11 Jun 2021

UEA researchers make surprising discovery about how the brain controls our hands

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have made an astonishing discovery about how our brains control our hands.

6 May 2021

Maintenance of good oral health may help prevent heart infection caused by mouth bacteria

Maintenance of good oral health is more important than use of antibiotics in dental procedures for some heart patients to prevent a heart infection caused by bacteria around the teeth, according to a new American Heart Association scientific statement published today in the association's flagship journal, Circulation.

15 Apr 2021

Researchers study how antibacterial properties in animals, plants can be used in medical implants

Researchers from London South Bank University (LSBU) are leading an international project aimed at reducing bacterial infection during the surgical process of medical implants.

15 Apr 2021

Neural control of robotic prosthetic ankles can restore wide range of abilities for amputees

A recent case study from North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill demonstrates that, with training, neural control of a powered prosthetic ankle can restore a wide range of abilities, including standing on very challenging surfaces and squatting.

13 Apr 2021

Advanced computer model could lead to improvements in 'bionic eye' technology

There are millions of people who face the loss of their eyesight from degenerative eye diseases. The genetic disorder retinitis pigmentosa alone affects 1 in 4,000 people worldwide.

9 Apr 2021