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.

Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer announce FDA approval of Eliquis for DVT prophylaxis

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Pfizer Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Eliquis (apixaban) for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which may lead to pulmonary embolism (PE), in patients who have undergone hip or knee replacement surgery.

16 Mar 2014

Optimizing patient health before total knee replacement surgery may reduce need for revisions

The number of total knee replacement (TKR) procedures continues to climb, as does the number of revision total knee replacement (RTKR) surgeries. In the study, "The Epidemiology of Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty in the United States," presented today at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), researchers used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to evaluate the cause of knee failure for 301,718 revision RTKR surgeries performed between 2005 and 2010.

12 Mar 2014

Berkeley Lab scientists explore bacteria-resistant materials as a line of defense against Staph infection

The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common source of infections that occur after surgeries involving prosthetic joints and artificial heart valves. The grape-shaped microorganism adheres to medical equipment, and if it gets inside the body, it can cause a serious and even life-threatening illness called a Staph infection. The recent discovery of drug-resistant strains of S. aureus makes matters even worse.

5 Mar 2014

Tooth extraction before heart surgery carries risks

Dental extraction before cardiac surgery may not be as benign a procedure as some clinicians might think, with review findings showing that it is associated with major adverse outcomes.

28 Feb 2014

Patients with dental extractions before cardiac surgery still at risk for poor outcomes

To pull or not to pull? That is a common question when patients have the potentially dangerous combination of abscessed or infected teeth and the need for heart surgery.

27 Feb 2014

BONESUPPORT launches new registry to collect data of CERAMENT™|G to protect bone infections

BONESUPPORT, an emerging leader in injectable bone substitutes for orthopedic trauma, bone infections and instrument augmentation related to orthopedic surgery, announced today the launch of a new registry to collect long term data of CERAMENT™|G, the first injectable antibiotic eluting, osteoconductive, ceramic bone substitute indicated to promote and protect bone healing being jeopardized by infection.

20 Feb 2014

New prosthetic devices allow people to function more effectively in daily activities

Thanks to advanced technologies, those who wear prosthetic and orthotic devices are now able to break previous activity boundaries. People with amputations now have prosthetic devices that allow them to engage in and function more effectively in a wider range of daily activities, exercise, sports, and even extreme sports, such as long-distance snowshoeing and ice climbing.

9 Feb 2014

Researchers may solve riddle about inner workings of the brain

Stanford researchers may have solved a riddle about the inner workings of the brain, which consists of billions of neurons, organized into many different regions, with each region primarily responsible for different tasks.

3 Feb 2014

Researchers examine how neurons in brain control arm movements

Sometimes that's how our brains work. When we anticipate a physical act, such as reaching for the keys we noticed on the table, the neurons that control the task adopt a state of readiness, like sprinters bent into a crouch.

23 Jan 2014

Researchers trace origins of humans' locomotory habits

Humans and some of our hominid ancestors such as Homo erectus have been walking for more than a million years, and researchers are close to figuring out how we do it.

20 Jan 2014

Researchers use silver nanowires to develop sensors for prosthetics, robotic systems

North Carolina State University researchers have used silver nanowires to develop wearable, multifunctional sensors that could be used in biomedical, military or athletic applications, including new prosthetics, robotic systems and flexible touch panels.

16 Jan 2014

Mission of Hope develops holistic model for rebuilding Haiti

With the four-year anniversary of Haiti's devastating, 7.0 magnitude earthquake just two weeks away, Mission of Hope a Christian nonprofit headquartered in Haiti, has developed a holistic model for long-term development and rebuilding that works and is sustainable.

30 Dec 2013

UT Dallas professor awarded $2.3 million NIH grant to continue prosthetics, orthotics research

Dr. Robert Gregg, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and bioengineering who joined the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science this fall, is a recipient of a $2.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for research that will combine robot control theory and physical rehabilitation to revolutionize and improve prosthetic limbs and orthotic devices.

23 Nov 2013

Research provides first rigorous comparison of 2 surgical approaches for severe heart valve disease

New research presented today at the 2013 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvaniafound no difference in outcomes at one-year between two recommended surgical options for treating ischemic mitral regurgitation (IMR) - repair of the leaky valve or its replacement with an artificial valve.

20 Nov 2013

Study: Public view prosthetic hands as eerie

Members of the public would prefer to look at human hands or robotic hands rather than prosthetic hands which they view as eerie, a new study by The University of Manchester has shown.

13 Nov 2013

Occupational therapist receives $1M grant to develop virtual world programs that help amputees improve skills

Some people use alternate virtual world programs like Second Life- to escape reality, but one researcher is examining whether these same virtual worlds that are used to stimulate the imagination could help amputees develop the skills needed to navigate the real world.

11 Nov 2013

UCLA launches first university-based military medicine center to care for wounded veterans

UCLA has launched the first university-based military medicine center on the West Coast, thanks to a generous donation from two sons in honor their father, the inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist Ronald A. Katz.

7 Nov 2013

Current percutaneous techniques shed light on treatment of heart valve leakage

A Paravalvular regurgitation, or leakage, commonly affects valvular prostheses, particularly artificial valves placed percutaneously according to data presented at the 2013 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) conference.

4 Nov 2013

Bluhm Institute enrolls first patient in SALUS trial to evaluate movable, non-metallic heart valve

Northwestern's Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute has enrolled its first participant in SALUS, a clinical trial studying the effectiveness of a prosthetic aortic heart valve that can be placed without open-heart surgery.

10 Oct 2013

Osteoarthritis and exercise: an interview with Dr Nicola Walsh, Associate Professor at the University of the West of England

Exercise helps to keep the surrounding muscles strong to protect the joint, and also reduces stiffness that people frequently experience in the morning or after periods of inactivity. Joints are meant to move, so keeping them mobile will assist with joint health, maintain range of movement and enhance stability.

7 Oct 2013