The History of Prosthetic Devices
Here is
a timeline recounting the significant dates and developments for prosthetics.
In Mythology:
- Aia Paec (Ai Apec), a Peruvian god, was missing one of his arms below his elbows.
- Tezcatlitoca, the Aztec god of creation and revenge, did not have a right foot.
- New Hah, an Irish god, was a left arm amputee who had a four fingered prosthetic hand made of silver.
- Pelops, the grandson of Zeus, killed by his father Tantalus was to be eaten by the gods, but Demeter, the Greek goddess of agriculture, ate Pelops' shoulder. When she realized what she did, she brought him back to life, giving him an ivory shoulder.
- An Indian poem, Rig-Veda, is the first recorded document about a prosthesis. The poem tells the tragic story of Queen Vishpla, a warrior, who lost her leg in battle. After the battle, she had an iron prosthesis made, and she was able to go back to battle.
- Aristophanes included a character with a prosthetic leg in his play "Birds."
Aristophanes
(http://www.aristophanes.com/)
218 BC
- The Roman general named Marcus Sergius guided his troops against Carthage in the Second Punic War and suffered over 20 injuries, including the loss of his right arm. An iron hand was created so that he could fight for the rest of the war. Because of his amputation, he was not allowed to be a priest because he did not have two hands.
- Most of the prosthetics during Roman times were just wooden or steel pegs.
- Archeologists discovered bronze peg prosthetic. Although it was rusted, it is the oldest usable artifact of a prosthetic. It is still recognizable so that one could see how it connected to one's body.
- The German knight Gotz von Berlichingen (1480-1562) is known as the German Robin Hood because he defended the serfs from the rich. He had to have his right arm amputated after the Battle of Landshut because a cannon ball caused his sword to fall and cut his arm. Gotz had two prosthetic iron hands to replace his right arm. Gotz's were different than previous prosthetic limbs; he was able to move each joint by setting one hand which was settled by a release and springs. The hand could move because of hanging leather straps.
- Ambroise Pare introduced amputation to the medical community. He is considered the father of prosthetics. In 1536, he made an artificial limb for the arm and elbow and created other limbs later.
Ambriose Pare
(http://www.robinsonresearch.com/HEALTH/PEOPLE/Pare.htm)
1696
- Pieter Andriannszoon Verduyn, a Dutch Surgeon, developed the first non-locking prosthesis for below the knee. This is the basis for the current joint and corset prosthesis.
- Sir James Syme described his method for ankle amputation. Before this procedure, the technique used amputated at the thigh. By amputating at the ankle, the patient could have the possibility to walk again. The longer leg length allowed an artificial foot to bear a typical weight.
- In Capri, Italy, the oldest known copper and wood leg (dated 300 B.C.) was discovered. Researchers determined it was from 300 BC.
- The American Civil War caused the start of the American prosthetics field.
- It is reported that there were at least 30,000 amputations on the Union side alone.
- Business ads for prosthetics from the time Civil War were usually familiar and tried to depict the primitive technology
Amputation being performed in a hospital tent, Gettysburg, July 1863.
(http://www.nara.gov/nara/nn/nns/civil036.jpg)
1914-1918
- Because the United States entered World War I late, not as many Americans suffered as the European nations. But prosthetics were further enhanced because of telephones and phone directories. Medical doctors were able to place illustrated ads, creating more customers.
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