Artificial Limbs and Rehabilitation

Summary

Until the 16th century, concepts of artificial limbs are based on uncertain written evidence and on artistic representations. In general, arm amputees accepted a single-handed existence and leg amputees crutches or a peg-leg if their knee was intact. Museums contain more surviving iron hands than legs, all designed exclusively for amputee knights riding to combat and to hide their weakness. By contrast, functional legs in wood and leather have not survived much before the 19th century when significant improvements in construction and function materialised with articulating ankles, knees and hands motivated by shoulder girdle muscles. In the 20th century, particularly following the two World Wars, greater cooperation between prosthetists and surgeons combined with the expertise of engineers and material scientists ensured important advances in design. Today, sophisticated new limbs, improved rehabilitation and the potential of implanting prostheses directly in bone offer prospects of near-normal function for many amputees, unimaginable half a century ago.