Amputation is among the most serious surgical procedures. It’s also among the oldest: for centuries, doctors have been removing limbs in order to safeguard the health of the patient.
The amputations of today, however, are very different from those of bygone years. This is largely thanks to an impressive array of technologies and techniques.
Where amputation results from medical negligence, it’s important that patients pursue the damages to which they are entitled. This is something that a specialised medical negligence solicitor will be able to help with. There are a number of solicitors specialising in amputation claims, and they’ll be able to guide you through the process of seeking compensation.
Osseointegration: Direct skeletal attachment
Osseointegration is a relatively new method for attaching prosthetic limbs following an amputation. The prosthesis is connected directly to the existing skeleton, which ultimately means that it ends up being more stable, mobile, and comfortable.
Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR): Enhancing prosthetic control
This surgical procedure involves using existing nerves, which would have been used to control the now-amputated limb, and assigning them to muscles that remain. This ultimately means better control of the new prosthetic limb – although patients typically need to go through a period of acclimatisation before they get optimal control over their new limb.
Advanced prosthetic interfaces: Bridging the gap between mind and machine
Part of the problem with traditional amputation and prosthetic limbs is that, after a limb has been removed, severed muscles receive only a tiny fraction of the control signals they might otherwise receive from the brain. New brain-controlled prosthetics are only just being developed that overcome this problem. This would allow the amputee to experience the new limb in the same way that they experienced the old one, which means a smoother transition and better approximation of the function of a natural limb.
Limb-sparing techniques: Alternatives to traditional amputation
In some cases, it might not be necessary to amputate a limb at all. A number of modern techniques might work as a substitute, but among the more well-known ones is rotationplasty. These procedures tend to be effective in particular circumstances. For example, in the case of rotationplasty, the technique is only used when the middle part of a person’s leg has been removed. Rather than amputate the lower half of the leg entirely, a surgeon might instead rotate it 180 degrees. This would allow for more use of the leg than an amputee might enjoy.
The world of medicine is changing constantly, and it’s likely that we’ll see this particular field evolve considerably over the coming years and decades. If you’ve undergone an amputation, therefore, it might be worth keeping an eye on the new technologies and techniques we’ve mentioned here, and seeing what developments occur.
