Memorial Day is just around the corner and as we stop and take the time to appreciate all the sacrifices our armed forces have endured to make this country a better place, let’s also ponder the advancements in prosthetic technologies that allow these soldiers to continue life with a degree of normalcy. Whether family, friends, or complete strangers, we’ve all seen members of our military come home with something “missing”. What better way to repay such an awesome debt than to provide a means of restoring physical actions we all take for granted.
Prosthetics have come a long way since the rudimentary walking sticks of ancient times or peg legs and hooked hands of the Dark Ages. Today we have electronic metal composite arms with gyros, computer chips, and body-molded, silicon covers. For decades, a soldier’s lost limb meant a life confined to a wheelchair or crutches, and at the very least a discharge from active service. Today, many amputee service members have been able to maintain active duty. Even in instances where one cannot perform past tasks as efficiently or easily, a soldier can reclassify into a different position and continue serving. With major insurance names like Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Tri-Care, Medicare, Amerigroup and many others establishing arrangements for military personnel to have guaranteed support, these life-improving, miracles of human ingenuity are becoming increasingly available.
Don’t think for a second prosthetics are only for the disabled military, though. Emerging technologies for Bionic limbs, combat exoskeletons, and military grade brain implants are making their way to a broader range of armed forces. DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is beginning to support ambitious endeavors from powered exoskeletons for soldiers and brain implants that can control mental disorders. Truly, prostheses are a growing industry and has unfathomable potential for our military.
So come Memorial Day, when you are thanking your veterans for the gifts they have bestowed, contemplate how we can improve their lives. Perhaps donate to a charity supporting prosthetic research. The Mending Limbs organization and the Given Limb Foundation are particularly known to support our Armed Services. Maybe refer someone you know to a nearby facility for consultation. The Medical Center of Orthotics and Prosthetics have many nation-wide locations and partners. The technology is there and there are plenty who need it. They served to keep our quality of life intact, we have the means to return the favor.
