Amputation

Surgery

Main article: Surgery

2024

Electrical nerve stimulation system released to eliminate phantom pain in people with amputations

On August 28, 2024, Neuros Medical introduced the Altius electrical nerve stimulation system. It is designed to eliminate phantom pain in patients with lower limb amputations. Read more here

In Russia, created an exoskeleton for people with amputation of legs. Patients have already received it

In mid-July 2024, Russian engineers presented an innovative exoskeleton designed for people with amputation of both legs or paralysis of the lower extremities. The first patients have already had the opportunity to test this device, opening up new prospects for rehabilitation and improving the quality of life.

According to RIA Novosti, the exoskeleton is an external structure worn on the legs, which acts as an additional frame that supports the body and helps in movement.

The uniqueness of the Russian development lies in the ability to control the exoskeleton both through hand gestures and through given patterns of movement. This provides a safe and comfortable movement of the user over different types of terrain with the ability to adapt control to a specific situation.

Project leader Anatoly Balabanov explained that the exoskeleton helps to evenly distribute body weight, reducing the load on muscles and joints. This makes movement easier and more sustainable. The device simulates the movements of real legs, allowing a person to walk, stand and perform other actions.

An important feature of the exoskeleton is its ability to adapt to changes in gait and load, ensuring smoothness and naturalness of movement. Built-in gyroscopes help maintain balance and stability by instantly adjusting the movement of the exoskeleton while losing balance to prevent falls.

The developers note that their project is based on the use of several advanced technologies that provide high functionality and ease of use. The exoskeleton allows people with amputation of both legs or paralysis to walk in much the same way they did before, even on uneven surfaces.^[1]

Shoe insoles have been created specifically for diabetics. They help avoid amputations

On April 19, 2024, American specialists from the University of Texas at Arlington Research Institute (UTARI) announced the development of special shoe racks designed for diabetics. Regular use of the products is claimed to reduce the risk of amputation of the lower extremities due to diabetic foot syndrome. Read more here.

2023

Robotic ankle prosthesis is introduced, which can be controlled as a healthy leg

On October 18, 2023, US researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced the development of a new robotic ankle prosthesis that will help amputees move more naturally. Impulses in the muscles are used to control the device.

Experts say that even when a person simply stands still, the leg muscles perform many complex and unconscious actions that allow you to maintain balance and maintain an upright position. Therefore, achieving the same stability with prostheses is a very difficult task.

Robotic ankle prosthesis designed to help amputees move more naturally

Basically, when we stand still, our bodies are constantly making adjustments to maintain stability. For example, if someone stumbles upon us in line, our legs perform a wide range of movements that we do not even think about in order to maintain stability, "says Helen Huang, one of the authors of the project.

The new robotic prosthesis is monitored using electromyographic (EMG) signals. Special sensors are placed above the muscles at the site of amputation. When the patient thinks about moving the amputated limb, electrical signals occur that pass through the rest of the lower limb muscle. Sensors pick up these signals through the skin and convert them into commands for the prosthesis.

In people with an intact lower limb, postural stability begins with an ankle. Those who have lost a leg usually have to compensate for their lack of ankle control. Studies have shown that the use of a developed robotic prosthesis allows patients to return to their instinctive response to maintain stability in response to external exposure.^[2]

The number of amputations in Ukraine has become comparable to the number of disabled people of the First World War

In early August 2023, it became known that the number of amputations in Ukraine became comparable to the number of disabled people of the First World War. The figures are cited by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). Read more here.

Thrombectomy device came out to help patients avoid amputations

On June 1, 2023, the U.S. company Penumbra, based in California, unveiled the Lightning Bolt 7 medical complex. This is said to be the most advanced and powerful arterial thrombectomy system on the market. Read more here.

2022: First surgery to thoroughly amputate leg performed as early as 31,000 years ago

In early September 2022, archaeologists from Indonesia, Australia and South Africa working in a remote part of Kalimantan Island discovered the earliest known example of a successful human limb amputation.

In a burial made about 31 thousand years ago, the remains of a man aged about 19-21 years old, who lived for several years without the lower part of his left leg, were found. Amputation is performed as a means of saving the life of the patient when all means of saving the limb are exhausted. In 2022, reducing the number of amputations and reducing their level is one of the most important tasks of health care.

The first thorough amputation surgery was carried out as early as 31,000 years ago

An expeditionary team came across the remains of a skeleton during the excavation of a limestone cave in East Kalimantan, looking for ancient cave paintings. The find turned out to be evidence of the earliest known surgical amputation, preceding other discoveries of complex medical procedures in Eurasia.

Scientists measured the age of the tooth and funerary sediment using radioisotope dating, researchers estimated the age of the remains at about 31 thousand years. Paleopathological analysis revealed bone overgrowths on the lower legs of the left leg, indicating healing and suggesting surgical amputation of the leg several years before burial.

The first thorough amputation surgery was carried out as early as 31,000 years ago

According to the authors of the study, it was a big surprise to them that such successful interventions were possible in the Stone Age, and that society cared so much for its members. The patient, as a child, experienced a very serious and life-threatening operation, his wound healed, forming a stump, and then he spent years in a mountainous area, being disabled.

The new discovery shows that Stone Age people could have detailed knowledge of the anatomy of limbs, muscle and vascular systems - this was required to carry out such operations and prevent fatal blood loss and infection.^[3]

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