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.

UTA researchers patent new smart seat cushion technology that helps prevent painful ulcers

The University of Texas at Arlington has patented a smart seat cushion that uses changes in air pressure to redistribute body weight and help prevent the painful ulcers caused by sitting for long periods of time in a wheelchair.

20 Sep 2018

Peptilogics held pre-IND meeting with FDA to develop PLG0206 for treating prosthetic joint infections

Peptilogics, a development stage company utilizing its innovative peptide platform to treat multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, today announced it recently held a pre-Investigational New Drug (pre-IND) meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to discuss the regulatory pathway for the development of PLG0206 for the treatment of prosthetic joint infections.

25 Aug 2018

Avatar-based software uses people's gait to predict their energy expenditure

New avatar-based software developed at EPFL looks at how people walk in order to predict their energy expenditure.

24 Aug 2018

Scientists trick the brain to embody the prosthetic limb

The famous idiom "seeing is believing" is not enough to help amputees with the use of their prosthetic limb. Many amputees opt out of prolonged use of their prosthetic limb because their missing limb simply does not fit their prosthesis.

14 Aug 2018

Hand washing practices need to step up after bugs resistant to hand sanitizers emerge

All healthcare facilities and hospitals need to step up their hand washing techniques as well as use of alcohol based hand sanitizers after reports of emergence of hospital super bacteria that are becoming more tolerant to alcohol.

2 Aug 2018

New techniques reveal how prosthesis users are doing damage to their intact limbs

RESEARCHERS from the University of Salford have used new techniques to show that people with artificial arms and hands are doing damage to their intact limbs.

24 Jul 2018

SUSU scientists develop Russian analog of voice prostheses using 3D printing

People who underwent larynx surgery face a necessity of a voice prosthesis implantation, but such artificial windpipes are only produced abroad.

11 Jul 2018

Study assesses effectiveness of chlorhexidine in preventing bacteremia after tooth extraction

A large number of bacteria are present in human mouths and may pass into the blood when procedures such as the removal of a tooth are carried out. Chlorhexidine mouthwashes have a powerful antimicrobial effect, but there are opposing positions on its use in these cases.

9 Jul 2018

Keele researchers to present research on life-like prosthetic hand at national exhibition

Researchers from Keele University have been selected to present their work on the quest for a life-like prosthetic hand at the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.

2 Jul 2018

Study reports greater psychosocial well-being in amputees using sensory-enabled prostheses

In the first known study of how amputees use advanced sensory-enabled prostheses outside the lab, subjects used a mechanical hand more regularly and for longer periods of time compared to traditional prostheses--and also reported a greater sense of psychosocial well-being.

30 Jun 2018

MIT engineers develop simple, passive prosthetic foot that mimics natural walking

Prosthetic limb technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, giving amputees a range of bionic options, including artificial knees controlled by microchips, sensor-laden feet driven by artificial intelligence, and robotic hands that a user can manipulate with her mind.

28 Jun 2018

Researchers create electronic skin that brings back real sense of touch to prosthetic limbs

Amputees often experience the sensation of a "phantom limb"--a feeling that a missing body part is still there.

21 Jun 2018

Medicare takes aim at boomerang hospitalizations of nursing home patients

"Oh my God, we dropped her!" Sandra Snipes said she heard the nursing home aides yell as she fell to the floor. She landed on her right side where her hip had recently been replaced.

13 Jun 2018

Study reveals how the brain coordinates complex articulatory movements during natural speech

When we speak, we engage nearly 100 muscles, continuously moving our lips, jaw, tongue, and throat to shape our breath into the fluent sequences of sounds that form our words and sentences. A new study by UC San Francisco scientists reveals how these complex articulatory movements are coordinated in the brain.

1 Jun 2018

FDA approves first stand-alone prosthetic iris in the U.S.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first stand-alone prosthetic iris in the United States, a surgically implanted device to treat adults and children whose iris (the colored part of the eye around the pupil) is completely missing or damaged due to a congenital condition called aniridia or other damage to the eye.

30 May 2018

Novel surgical approach to limb amputation improves sensation, control of prosthesis

Humans can accurately sense the position, speed and torque of their limbs, even with their eyes shut. This sense, known as proprioception, allows humans to precisely control their body movements.

30 May 2018

New technology could make prosthetic use more intuitive and reliable

Researchers have developed new technology for decoding neuromuscular signals to control powered, prosthetic wrists and hands. The work relies on computer models that closely mimic the behavior of the natural structures in the forearm, wrist and hand.

23 May 2018

Researchers develop new method that could increase longevity of artificial hips

Mechanical engineering researchers have developed a method that could extend the life of an artificial hip by adding an array of microscopic indentations that increase the thickness of a lubricating film on its surface.

14 May 2018

Study shows effectiveness of novel risk tool to predict readmission rates after TAVR

A new study looked at the effectiveness of novel risk tool to predict 30-day readmission rates in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

27 Apr 2018

Study examines efficacy of 3D printing, computer modeling to predict paravalvular leak in TAVR

A new study examines the effectiveness of 3D printing technology and computer modeling to predict paravalvular leak in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). A common risk of TAVR is an ill-fitting valve which can lead to PVL.