THE BIONIC MEN

[HairOfTheDog]

Austrian scientists and physicians have successfully transplanted nerves from one part of their bodies to another in three men with severed arms, in order to allow them to control new robotic limbs with their brains.

Before the bionic arms were attached, the patients were required to undergo several months of cognitive training, followed by a clean amputation above the original point of sever and three months of post-surgical healing.




The three men can now throw and catch balls, pick up and play with their children, draw, grab/grip...all kinds of things that common prosthetics don't enable. They don't have feeling in the artificial limbs, but lots of function.

Luckily, they're not $6 million dollar men. The cost is about $35,000 USD. But, that doesn't include repairs and such -- it'll be interesting to see how the bionics hold up and function over time in all kinds of situations and what glitches develop. In any case, I think it's a really cool scientific/med advancement.

Story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/...ients.html

[Duchess]

I think $35,000 is a bargain for that.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think $35,000 is a bargain for that.

Me too.

It's gotta be so cool to go from having functionality in one arm/hand to having it in both.

It's fascinating to me that the scientists and surgeons can remove muscle and nerves from a leg (without affecting the leg's functionality), transplant them to an amputated arm, attach a robotic limb, and train patients to control the limbs with their brains much like a natural limb.

Cost ref: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/25...50440.html

[Maggot]

I thought I saw something the other day about being two years away from head transplants.

[Duchess]

I saw the same thing. It's creepy cool.

[Blindgreed1]

I thought I saw something the other day about being two years away from head transplants.

There are plenty of people in this world who could benefit from a head transplant.