The beginning of prosthetic limbs began in Greek and Roman times. For example, there is account that Marcus Sergius was a roman general who lost his hand during the second Punic War and his replacement was made out of iron to be able to hold his shield and return to battle. There are also other instances with early egyptians times where researchers found a prosthetic toe made of wood and leather. Also, another instance of making porsthetic devices for use is the the sterotupe of "pirates" having hooks which was actually true when ti was necessary.
One of the first people to attribute to advances in prosthetic devices was French Military Doctor, Ambroise Pare, also known as the father of modern amputation surgery and prosthetic design. Paré invented a hinged mechanical hand as well as prosthetic legs that featured advances such as locking knees and specialized attachment harnesses. He made prostheses for upper and lower extremeitys of the body. Many other people throughout the 17th and 19th centuries found further advances in amputations and prosthesis but it all started with Pare Later in 1912, there was a new advance in the subject of prostheses where the first aluminum prostehesis was made for Marcel Desoutter, a famous English aviator who lost his leg in an airplane accident, and the use of aluminum instead of steel during that time made the artifical limbs lighter and more functional. http://science.howstuffworks.com/prosthetic-limb1.htm |