What Are Prosthetics?

Lesson Plan - Get It!

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Tools help make daily life easier by assisting in various ways.

Some tools, like a hammer, provide extra strength to complete a task. Prostheses, or artificial body parts, are medical tools that help people navigate and function in our world following the loss of function.

A good example is a prosthetic leg that allows the patient to regain the ability to walk. Prosthetic limbs are a large segment of prosthesis products.

Limb loss can occur due to required amputation following an accident, infection, or cancer. In addition, some infants are born without fully formed limbs. In these situations, prosthetics can assist the individual with movement and daily activities.

Prosthetics attached to the lower part of the body assist the patient with walking and balance. Many talented athletes require prosthetics to compete. They have specialized prosthetics, like the one in the image below.

When an arm or hand is damaged, an upper-body prosthetic is designed. These products assist the patient with grasping, holding, and eating.

The history of prosthetic limbs goes back to the Egyptians, who fashioned early limbs out of fiber and wood products. The world's first prosthetic toe was found on an Egyptian mummy!

You may have heard of peg legs on pirates. This is another early example of prosthetics to assist a patient following limb loss.

Early artificial legs date to 300 BC and have been made of bronze and iron! During these early times, the only people who could afford prosthetics were the wealthy, and there was more emphasis on appearance than function.

In 1508, an iron hand was designed for a German mercenary who could physically manipulate the hand to improve function.

The father of modern amputation and prosthetic design was a Frenchman named Ambroise Paré, who designed the basic structure of most lower-body prosthetics still used today. It allowed for movement in the knee and could be adjusted with harnesses.

The design of prosthetics continued to evolve and improve, with less invasive amputation methods and more flexibility in the artificial limb.

Today, prosthetics are made of much lighter materials like carbon fiber, plastics, and silicon. These lightweight materials make it easy for the individual to move and function.

• What would your life be like without a limb?
• How might you need to adjust your daily activities?

Thankfully, prosthetics have come a long way from leather and wood! Today, you can be fitted for a custom artificial limb that fits your unique body and needs.

In the Got It? section, learn more about how prosthetics have changed over time.