Health and Medicine
86 Prosthetics
Rachel Jones
Introduction
When people think of prosthetics most people have an image in their head of a very complex robotic limb with fully functional joints, elbows, wrists, fingers, knees, etc. However, prosthetics are so much more than that and have come an extraordinarily long way. Thinking about peg legs for example, like the ones seen on so many cartoon pirates. Not everyone would associate them with the word prosthetics, but before their were robotic arms and artificial heart valves, there were peg legs. Prosthetics, simply put, are any artificial body part. Prosthetics are important because they make life easier for anyone that has to struggle because of losing functionality or losing a body part as a whole. Prosthetics have developed a lot in recent years because of technological advancements. This chapter will discuss how technology has made those improvements and how this has impacted society as a whole.
Connection to STS
Prosthetics are greatly involved in today’s society. Whether it is because of a traumatic injury, a fetal disease like cancer, or a birth defect, prosthetics make people’s lives easier. They allow them to better function within society and not have to struggle as much trying to overcome such a difficult obstacle. As time progresses and the mechanics of prosthetics progress so do the looks. While the main goal is functionality these prosthetics start to look increasingly real. That way anyone using one feels less alienated out in public and is not embarrassed or worried about what other people might say or think. These advancements make prosthetics more accurate and better to use; however, because they are newer and require advanced technology, they are something that many people cannot afford. Many people who might benefit from it are unable to because it is an expensive device and process. This is an issue when it comes to many of the newer discoveries of modern technology in the medical field is that it is simply too expensive for most people to afford, like has been shown previously like chapter 112 of this textbook which addresses that very issue pertaining to physical therapy.
Prosthetics
Prosthetics started out being made with wood and glue and were very immovable. They were made with glue, metal, wood, and leather up until the 20th century. However, between the 15th and 19th century artificial limbs “could rotate and bend using cables, gears, cranks, and springs” (U.S National Library of Medicine). This is referring to more of the larger limb prosthetics. Each specific wing of prosthetics have all evolved in different ways that fit with that type. For example looking at the stapes prosthesis, many different materials, shapes, and sizes have been used for this surgery in the past to try to determine what the best outcome is. For example from these trial and errors it is lead to believe that smaller piston diameters can lead to lower risk of hearing loss (Sevy A, Arriaga M). An