3 Benefits Of Osseointegration In Prosthetics
Looking for advanced and improved replacement limbs, osseointegration prosthetic arm and leg designs wouldn’t be an option. For amputees who want to feel the effect or natural sensation of their replacement limb as much as they would with the lost limb, osseointegration carries the weight. Other than body extension, it functions as good as the natural missing limb and it can perform several tasks and moves, adjusting walking or movement speed to carry out any task, heavy-duty or simple as with natural limb. It comes with many benefits three of which run thus:
No Socket No Hassles
One of the challenging facts of traditional prosthetics which are connected to the residual limb with a socket is that it is attributed to issues such as pain, infection at the upper part of the residual limb where the socket grips the limb, inability of an amputee to maintain a good center of mass due improper fitting of socket to limb and lots more.
Replacement limbs designed using the osseointegration technology are fix directly to the residual limb. Hence, they don’t come with socket. The issues of imbalance pain and infection as with a normal prosthetic which is designed with socket are eliminated. An added advantage is high maintainability. Sockets has to be removed and cleaned at least two to three time per day. No socket, no heat, no smut and dirt buildup, no piles with osseointegration. Hence, it is easy to maintain and for the record, since it is not susceptible to dirt and heat which unite together to damage a prosthetic, it last much longer than a traditional replacement limb.
An a Sturdy Abutment for the Body
It is employed to implant a prosthetic arm or leg directly to the bone so that it functions as part of the body in lieu of an extension. Sort of a screw, a fixture made of titanium is engrafted into the body at the residual limb. The fixture over time will unify with the bone and become much stronger. Thereafter, the replacement limb is connected to the fixture. Built with titanium, fixtures as well as prosthetic implants are pretty sturdy.
High Sensation of Limb
One of the beauty of osseointegration technology is the tactual sensation of the replacement limb which helps it to adjust to weight, speed, arm abduction and other related moves. An amputee wearing a prosthetic of such design would feel highly sensitive to touch as much as they would with a natural limb. Load of different weight can be lifted with the device with the right amount of pressure exerted for the fact that the amputee is able to sense the weight of the load and apply the right move and force to carry it. The prosthetic arm design maintains a center of mass at the midpoint of the upper arm.