New type of surgery can help amputees better control their residual muscles
MIT researchers have invented a new type of amputation surgery that can help amputees to better control their residual muscles and sense where their phantom limb is in space. This restored sense of proprioception should translate to better control of prosthetic limbs, as well as a reduction of limb pain, the researchers say.
In most amputations, muscle pairs that control the affected joints, such as elbows or ankles, are severed. However, the MIT team has found that reconnecting these muscle pairs, allowing them to retain their normal push-pull relationship, offers people much better sensory feedback.
New surgery may enable better control of prosthetic limbs
February 16, 2021MIT
MIT researchers have invented a new type of amputation surgery that can help amputees to better control their residual muscles and sense where their “phantom limb” is in space. This restored sense of proprioception should translate to better control of prosthetic limbs, as well as a reduction of limb pain, the researchers say.
In most amputations, muscle pairs that control the affected joints, such as elbows or ankles, are severed. However, the MIT team has found that reconnecting these muscle pairs, allowing them to retain their normal push-pull relationship, offers people much better sensory feedback.
MIT researchers in collaboration with surgeons at Harvard Medical School have devised a new type of amputation surgery that can help amputees better control their residual muscles and receive sensory feedback. This restored sense of proprioception should translate to better control of prosthetic limbs, as well as reduction of limb pain, the researchers say.