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.

Study reveals how body image evolves for people learning to use robotic prosthetics

The way we understand the movement of our own bodies plays an important role when learning physical skills, from sports to dancing.

17 Feb 2026

Natural movement timing enhances ownership of robotic arms

When AI powered prosthetic arms that move autonomously become widespread, understanding how people feel about them and accept them will be crucial.

13 Feb 2026

Machine learning enables prosthetic hands to control grip for daily tasks

Holding an egg requires a gentle touch. Squeeze too hard, and you'll make a mess. Opening a water bottle, on the other hand, needs a little more grip strength.

20 Jan 2026

New insights into how rhythmic brain waves create a coherent sense of bodily self

A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Communications, reveals how rhythmic brain waves known as alpha oscillations help us distinguish between our own body and the external world.

12 Jan 2026

Injectable paste from human skin cells may improve breast reconstruction

Removing part or all of the breast during breast cancer treatment is a potential outcome for some people.

5 Jan 2026

Novel wireless device uses light to send information directly to the brain

In a new leap for neurobiology and bioelectronics, Northwestern University scientists have developed a wireless device that uses light to send information directly to the brain - bypassing the body's natural sensory pathways.

8 Dec 2025

Retrospective analysis shows mortality rates and risk factors after prosthetic heart valve surgeries

Mechanical valve replacement is a primary treatment for rheumatic heart disease, yet prosthesis-related adverse outcomes remain underreported in India.

25 Nov 2025

New algorithm helps robotic prosthetics support more natural human movement

Researchers have developed a new algorithm that combines two processes for personalizing robotic prosthetic devices to both optimize the movement of the prosthetic limb and - for the first time - also help a human user's body engage in a more natural walking pattern.

20 Nov 2025

Study reports increase in leg and foot amputations in Illinois hospitals from 2016 to 2023

Rates of leg and foot amputations in Illinois hospitals increased 65% between 2016 and 2023, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study.

31 Oct 2025

Wireless retinal implant restores sight in patients blinded by advanced macular degeneration

A new trial shows that a wireless subretinal implant, the PRIMA system, restored central vision in patients with geographic atrophy caused by age-related macular degeneration. After one year, 81% achieved clinically meaningful vision gains and most could read at home using prosthetic vision.

28 Oct 2025

$Reducing femoral fractures in total hip replacement with safer implant designs$

Reducing femoral fractures in total hip replacement with safer implant designs

As populations continue to age, total hip replacement (THR) is becoming an increasingly common surgical procedure.

28 Oct 2025

Botulinum toxin injections could be a powerful tool for treating post-amputation pain

Botulinum toxin injections provided greater short-term relief for phantom limb pain than standard medical and surgical care among Ukrainian war amputees, reports a new study led by Northwestern Medicine and Ukrainian physicians.

21 Oct 2025

New chip restores reading ability for macular degeneration patients

A tiny wireless chip implanted in the back of the eye and a pair of high-tech glasses have partially restored vision to people with an advanced form of age-related macular degeneration. In a clinical trial led by Stanford Medicine researchers and international collaborators, 27 out of 32 participants had regained the ability to read a year after receiving the device.

21 Oct 2025

New funding supports research aimed at enabling prostheses for children with lower extremity amputation

Quentin Sanders, Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Assistant Professor, Bioengineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), received funding for: "Fused Filament Fabrication of Customized Continuous Fiber Physical Activity Enabling Prostheses for Children with Lower Extremity Amputation."

7 Oct 2025

Commercial robotic leg could benefit both higher- and lower-mobility amputees

A commercial robotic leg could potentially benefit both higher- and lower-mobility amputees, University of Michigan roboticists have shown for the first time.

6 Oct 2025

New clinical trial to test sensory-enabled neural prostheses for upper limb amputees

Technology developed at Case Western Reserve University can restore a sense of touch that makes a prosthetic hand feel like a part of one's own body instead of feeling artificial and disconnected.

5 Sep 2025

Rose petal-inspired sensors revolutionize wearable sweat monitoring

Wearable sensors can help prevent critical health issues by continuously monitoring physiological factors in real time.

28 Aug 2025

Study shows brain keeps internal body map intact after amputation

Researchers tracked brain activity before and after arm amputation and found that hand and lip maps in the cortex remained remarkably stable for up to five years. This challenges decades-old assumptions of large-scale remapping and supports the idea of a resilient internal body model.

24 Aug 2025

Data-driven approach improves speed and consistency of prosthetic leg fitting

Researchers have developed a new, data-driven way of fitting prosthetic legs which could lead to better fitting prosthetics, in less time and at a lower cost.

22 Aug 2025

Study shows the brain’s body map remains stable after limb loss

New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Cambridge University upends a long-standing belief about brain plasticity.

21 Aug 2025