How prosthetic limbs work — a prosthetist's explanation

Medical Center Orthotics&Prosthetics in the United States has already helped more than 70 Ukrainian servicemen who lost limbs during hostilities. The clinic takes on the most complex cases that could not be dealt with in Ukraine.

Co-founder of the clinic, Mark Konkoran, told exclusively for Novyny.LIVE how they make prostheses.

How are prostheses made?

The first thing to do when making a prosthesis is to make a socket (or the receiving part of the prosthesis). To do this, a cast is made of the stump — the part of the limb that remains after the amputation. The socket is then made based on the cast.

"For upper limbs, such as hands, control is carried out using sensors that capture electrical signals from muscles. Our nerves send electrical impulses to the muscles to contract or relax, and the prosthetic hand captures these signals and is programmed to open or close the hand depending on which muscles are activated," explains Mark Corcoran.

Before installing the prosthesis, doctors determine where the strongest signals are, and that's where they place the electrodes in the socket.

"As for the lower limbs, the knees in the prosthetics are controlled by a computer. The knee tracks when weight is placed on the prosthesis, as well as when it needs to be brought forward. The prostheses have load sensors, gyroscopes to ensure the knee is level, and accelerometers that determine how much effort was put into walking. The knees use artificial intelligence to learn how the user initiates walking," says the prosthetist.

Earlier, Novyny.LIVE spoke with military personnel currently undergoing rehabilitation in the USA at the Medical Center for Orthopedics and Prosthetics.

We also note that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently visited the Superhumans prosthetics and rehabilitation center and commented on the conditions there.