Amputations News and Research

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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 global study highlights vast under-treatment of diabetes

Nearly half a billion people on the planet have diabetes, but most of them aren't getting the kind of care that could make their lives healthier, longer and more productive, according to a new global study of data from people with the condition.

22 May 2021

Increased use of tourniquets has improved patient survival in Los Angeles County

Uncontrolled bleeding continues to be one of the most common causes of preventable death from a traumatic injury.

22 Apr 2021

WHO’s new initiative aims to speed up action on diabetes

The World Health Organization's new Global Diabetes Compact aims to bring a much-needed boost to efforts to prevent diabetes and bring treatment to all who need it ̶ 100 years after the discovery of insulin.

16 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

New stem cell therapy shows promise to prevent diabetes-related amputations

According to the results of a phase 1 clinical trial just published in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine, a new stem cell therapy shows promise of making diabetes-related amputations a thing of the past.

7 Apr 2021

A retinal photo may provide early warning signs of stroke and dementia

Pictures of the retina may someday provide early warning signs that a person is at an increased risk of stroke and dementia, making it possible to take preventive measures, according to preliminary research to be presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2021.

11 Mar 2021

New type of surgery can help amputees better control their residual muscles

MIT researchers have invented a new type of amputation surgery that can help amputees to better control their residual muscles and sense where their "phantom limb" is in space.

15 Feb 2021

Reducing obesity may prevent up to half of new type 2 diabetes cases

Reducing the prevalence of obesity may prevent up to half of new Type 2 diabetes cases in the United States, according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access journal of the American Heart Association.

10 Feb 2021

Groundbreaking therapy may provide a new treatment modality for biofilm infections in foot ulcers

A new £1.7m project to explore using plasma jets and antimicrobial dressings to treat debilitating - and potentially deadly - wound infections launches today.

1 Feb 2021

New results challenge prevailing dogma regarding brain plasticity following limb loss

Advances in neuroscience and engineering have generated great hope for Luke Skywalker-like prosthetics: robotic devices that are almost indistinguishable from a human limb.

23 Dec 2020

FDA approves first implant system for adults who have above-the-knee amputations

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the Osseoanchored Prostheses for the Rehabilitation of Amputees (OPRA) Implant System, the first implant system marketed in the U.S. for adults who have transfemoral—or above-the-knee—amputations and who have or are anticipated to have rehabilitation problems with, or cannot use, a conventional socket prosthesis.

18 Dec 2020

Sensory stimulation improves perception of phantom limbs, leads to better muscle movement

A significant amount of research and development has gone into creating sophisticated prosthetic limbs and learning how to effectively control them.

8 Dec 2020

New technique may help assess hand injuries

Scratch your nose. Write a text message. Reach for a glass of water. Most people take these simple movements -- brain-hand behaviors -- for granted.

1 Dec 2020

New procedure offers lasting pain relief for patients with osteoarthritis

A novel outpatient procedure offers lasting pain relief for patients suffering from moderate to severe arthritis in their hip and shoulder joints, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

16 Nov 2020

Researchers develop low-cost, customizable, self-locking upper limb prosthesis

Upper limb forequarter amputations which involve the removal of the entire arm and scapula require highly customized prosthetic devices that are expensive but yet, usually underutilized due to their high maintenance and low comfort levels.

27 Oct 2020

WHO plans to increase access to affordable, quality-assured testing and treatment for diabetes

Over a four-day workshop that ended on 25 September 2020, WHO and key international health partners mapped out a plan to boost access to affordable and quality-assured testing and treatment for diabetes.

26 Sep 2020

Study provides new insight into the evolution of limb regeneration in lungfish and other species

For most vertebrates, losing a limb is permanent, but a lucky few species -- such as salamanders and tadpoles -- have the ability to completely regrow complex body parts.

17 Sep 2020

New insights into how the brain can induce diabetes remission in rodents

In rodents with type 2 diabetes, a single surgical injection of a protein called fibroblast growth factor 1 can restore blood sugar levels to normal for weeks or months. Yet how this growth factor acts in the brain to generate this lasting benefit has been poorly understood.

7 Sep 2020