Bionic Limbs Clinical Rehabilitation

Question: Describe the Report for Bionic Limbs for Clinical Rehabilitation. Answer: Introduction The bionics was as a result of some problems that resulted from clinical based or crime based amputation of the limbs. This bionic limbs technology has actually revolutionalized the modern world due to advances in technology. For instance, when soldiers lost their limbs in a war, they had to be amputated (Sanders et al., 2005). This process is very painful and perilous and in most instances it could even result in the death of a patient. And for those who had undergone a successful process of amputation, sometimes they find difficulties when moving around. So what next? The amputees had problems in moving around and instead of giving up or just sympathizing with them they developed the bionic limbs. Therefore people who lose their limbs can get bionic limbs that help them in movement and spare them from the dangerous process of limb amputation. This has in fact increased these safe processes of limb replacements. The bionic limbs It is important to admire how technology has really improved life because the bionic limbs are very functional and lifelike. Initially, the peg leg artificial was in use but at the moment the prosthetic industry has been making modifications in order to make lightweight artificial limbs which are light to carry (van den Heiligenberg et al., 2015). Towards the end of the Second World war, there was a development in the advances of prosthetics in a campaign known as the artificial limbs program. Examples of the limbs that were developed during this campaign include the quadrilateral sockets, Henschke by hydraulic knee joints, patellar tendon below knee prosthesis as well as improved methods of managing patients who had amputations on the upper limbs. At the same time, there was a tremendous development on early fitting as well as save the knees especially when amputation had been recommended as a result of arteriosclerosis. Many advances have occurred from the simple peg leg all the way to the modern artificial limbs that we have on a preset day (Gutfleisch, 2003). There have been several campaigns in support of amputees while many other learning institutions have introduced prosthetics courses in their curriculum. Finally, the advances in the prosthetic industry have led to the development of the bionic limbs which are controlled by electric power. This type of artificial limb uses the concept of myoelectricity whereby the electric power is generated when a muscle is contracting, the residual limb is amplified. After amplification, the electric power is processed and then used to control the low electric power from the battery to the motor and eventually operates the artificial limb. The bionic limb was an invention from the Germans in the 20th century although it had drawbacks of lack of portability. Then many countries a wave which was in the form of competition to produce a successful prosthetic whi ch was controlled myoelectrically. Finally, the first stand-alone prosthetic was developed by a Russian scientist whereby the product was a myoelectric control system which was self-contained. The most common artificial limbs were for the hands and could be used by both children and adult amputees. Finally, a programmable artificial limb was designed such that it could be used for several functions (Williams et al., 2016). This programmable artificial limb can be adjusted while still on the patient by use of one or two electrode control points such that they can produce various functions. With advancement in the modern battery technologies, the improved battery life offers more services to the patients (Laferrier Gailey, 2010). The prosthetics also get a natural feeling when using the bionic limbs because the computer technology which is in use has a large memory for control as well as movement. An example of a modern artificial lamb is the cosmetic prosthetic limb which looks exactly like the actual limbs. In this case, pigments and plastics that match the skin color of the patients are used in making the modern day bionic limbs. The type nature of the amputation and the exact place where the limb was determines the type of the prosthetic limb that can be used. For example, an above the knee requires more technology because it requires articulated knees and ankles and also requires to be attached to the nerves. Additionally, the bionic limbs are efficient but expensive to buy a cost factor which varies with the level of technology used (Datta et al., 2004). Conclusion At the present day, artificial limbs have undergone a great revolutionization which meets the needs of the patient. Some limbs use microprocessors and can even remember body movements through adaptation of the knee stiffness. With increased variety of bionic limbs, the patients have a wide variety to choose from according to their needs as well as the cost. References Datta, D., Selvarajah, K., Davey, N. (2004). Functional outcome of patients with proximal upper limb deficiency-acquired and congenital. Clinical rehabilitation, 18(2), 172-177. Gutfleisch, O. (2003). Peg legs andbionic limbs: the development of lower extremity prosthetics. Interdisciplinary Science Reviews, 28(2), 139-148. Laferrier, J. Z., Gailey, R. (2010). Advances in lower-limb prosthetic technology. Physical medicine and rehabilitation clinics of North America, 21(1), 87-110. Sanders, J. E., Zachariah, S. G., Jacobsen, A. K., Fergason, J. R. (2005). Changes in interface pressures and shear stresses over time on trans-tibial amputee subjects ambulating with prosthetic limbs: Comparison of diurnal and six-month differences. Journal of biomechanics, 38(8), 1566-1573. van den Heiligenberg, F., Macdonald, S., Duff, E., Henderson, S. D., Johansen-Berg, H., Culham, J., Makin, T. (2015). Activity in hand-and tool-selective regions for prosthetic limbs in amputees is associated with prosthesis usage in everyday life. Journal of vision, 15(12), 983-983. Williams, R. J., Holloway, C., Miodownik, M. (2016). The ultimate wearable: connecting prosthetic limbs to the IoPH. In Proceedings of the 2016 ACM International Joint Conference on Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing: Adjunct , 1079-1083.