The Development of Biomedical Implants and Prosthetics

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Since mankind has appeared on Earth, we have constantly been evolving. Around 50 thousand years ago making their journey out of Africa humans took a great leap forward in their development, evolving physically, intellectually, emotionally and socially. With diverse civilizations and cultures created in the wake of human advancement. Our natural interest in innovation and technology has shaped our culture and our perception of each other and the world around us. Advancements in biomedical science have allowed us to alter this perception. Starting from the creation of the prosthetic limb people who have lost their motility and dexterity were able to regain their abilities. But it doesn’t stop there, recent and future developments have created bionic and alternative prosthetics that have allowed for improved physical abilities and aesthetic appeal. Technology has allowed us new means of human expression, has gifted the unfortunate with means of re-entering society and has allowed humans to reach new heights unfathomed in the years prior.
Evidence of early uses of prostheses date back to the ancient Egyptians. Early prostheses were mainly used for function, cosmetic appearance and a psycho-spiritual sense of wholeness (Thurston). The Greeks and the Romans were the first to develop true rehabilitation aid prostheses (Thurston). In the Medieval era prostheses were primarily used for battle and hiding deformity, they were heavy and crude and made of wood, metal and leather.
Ambroise Paré revolutionized prostheses in the 16th century with his inventions of both upper and lower limb prostheses. His “Le Petit Lorrain”, a mechanical hand operated by catches and springs and an above-knee prosthesis consisting of a kneeling peg and a prosth...

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Cuddy, Amy. "Amy Cuddy: Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are: TEDx." YouTube. YouTube, 01 Oct. 2012. Web. 09 May 2014
Herr, Hugh. "Hugh Herr: The New Bionics That Let Us Run, Climb and Dance: TEDx." YouTube. YouTube, 28 Mar. 2014. Web. 09 May 2014.
Love, Dylan. "These Boots Make Walking Easy Even When Carrying Heavy Loads." Buisiness Insider 8 May 2014: 1-2. Web. 9 May 2014.
MacRae, Michael. "The Civil War and the Birth of the U.S Prosthetics Industry." ASME. ASME Intl., June 2011. Web. 8 May 2014.
Marks, L. J., and J. W. Michael. "Science, Medicine, and the Future: Artificial Limbs." Bmj 323.7315 (2001): 732-35. Print.
Thurston, Alan J. "Paré And Prosthetics: The Early History Of Artificial Limbs." ANZ Journal of Surgery 77.12 (2007): 1114-119. Print.

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