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An artificial leg dating back to about 300 B.C. was unearthed in Capua, Italy in 1858. It was composed of bronze and iron and it had a wooden core. It was meant for a below-the-knee amputee.
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The first prosthetic, which was a wooden toe, dates back to between 950 and 710 B.C. That was approximately 3,000 years ago.
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In 1512, an Italian surgeon traveling in Asia recorded observations of an amputee who was able to remove his hat, open his purse, and sign his name with a Prosthetic arm/hand. Prosthetic hands
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In 1696, Pieter Verduyn developed the first nonlocking below-knee (BK) prosthesis, which would later become the blueprint for current joint and corset devices.
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In 1800, a Londoner, James Potts, designed a prosthesis made of a wooden shank and socket, a steel knee joint and an articulated foot that was controlled by catgut tendons from the knee to the ankle.
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In 1843, Sir James Syme discovered a new method of ankle amputation that did not involve amputating at the thigh.
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In 1846, Benjamin Palmer saw no reason for leg amputees to have unsightly gaps between various components and improved upon the Selpho leg by adding an anterior spring, smooth appearance, and concealed tendons to simulate natural-looking movement.
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Douglas Bly invented and patented the Doctor Bly's anatomical leg in 1858, which he referred to as “the most complete and successful invention ever attained in artificial limbs.
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In 1863, Dubois Parmlee invented an advanced prosthesis with a suction socket, polycentric knee and multi-articulated foot.
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Later, Gustav Hermann suggested in 1868 the use of aluminum instead of steel to make artificial limbs lighter and more functional
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Later in 1893, when it got brought to the US, it became known as the “Selpho Leg”.
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Today’s prosthetics are lighter, made of plastic, aluminum, and composite materials. In addition to lighter, patient-molded devices, the advent of microprocessors, computer chips and robotics in today's devices are designed to return amputees to the lifestyle they were accustomed to, rather than to simply provide basic functionality or a more pleasing appearance.
