For some of our veterans, particularly those young ones starting out, loss of limbs and life-threatening injuries are issues that can take a toll on these young individuals for the rest of their lives. One particular area of concern lies in the limited development of good prosthetics for these young veterans who have lost their legs. Modern technology together with basic anatomical principles and the idea of biomechanics (the application of mechanical principles to the human body) has now created robotic prosthetics - prosthetics that integrate human thinking with actual movement. As revealed to the public a few years ago, this idea has really taken off since then. Using robotic prosthetics prevents the user from undergoing fewer stresses and strains elsewhere in the body. In addition, older prosthetics devices tend to be heavier and bulkier which can add weight and heat causing irritation. Recently, this idea has gone even further with the development of the Pentagon's DEKA arm which enables those veterans who have lost their arms in battle to experience the feeling of having an actual arm again. Things that they might have never imagined doing again - from picking up a grape to turning a door knob to opening soda - are options opened to them now. With greater advances in technology in the future and better understanding of the human condition, the possibilities for treatment and healing of individuals of all conditions are endless!
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