MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital researchers have developed brain-driven prostheses that allow people with leg amputations to control their prosthetic limbs for a natural gait.
Patients with below-knee amputations can control the movements of their prosthetic legs through neural signals, enabling them to walk at normal speeds, up and down steps and slopes, and maneuver obstacles without thinking.
The study, published in Nature Medicine on July 1st, uses the Agonist-Antagonist Myoneural Interface (AMI) approach which involves a specialized amputation surgery and non-invasive surface electrode connection to a robotic prosthetic lower leg.
In a groundbreaking scientific advance, brain-driven prostheses have enabled people with leg amputations to control their prosthetic limbs, resulting in a significant improvement in walking ability. According to a study published by the journal Nature Medicine on July 1st, researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital have paved the way for the next generation of prostheses by creating a connection between the patient's nervous system and their prosthetic leg. This groundbreaking method allows for a smoother gait and enhanced ability to navigate obstacles. The study, led by Hyungeun Song, involved patients with amputations below the knee who were able to control the movements of their prosthetic legs through neural signals and resume walking with a natural gait. The achievement required a specialized amputation surgery combined with a non-invasive surface electrode connection to a robotic prosthetic lower leg. This innovative approach, known as the Agonist-Antagonist Myoneural Interface (AMI), has become the standard at Brigham and Women's Hospital. The AMI amputations enable patients to walk at normal speeds, up and down steps and slopes, and maneuver obstacles without thinking about it, resulting in a natural, involuntary gait. This groundbreaking research offers new hope for people with leg amputations by providing them with greater mobility and independence.
Research is being conducted to create neurally controlled bionic legs with the same versility and responsivity as intact biological limbs.
Achieving such functionality requires high-bandwidth neuromodulation to meet gait demands, including adaptive foot positioning, shock absorption and propulsion across diverse terrains.
Residual motor control in individuals with standard-of-care limb amputation is complicated by inconsistency and unintended coactivation.
Contemporary bionic legs use neural inputs only as auxiliary control signals within conventional intrinsic gait controllers, typically limited to a specific gait phase and unidirectional movement.
Accuracy
Current bionic legs rely on predefined robotic control architectures for biomimetic locomotion.
Neuroprosthetic legs fully driven by the human nervous system may unlock capabilities approaching that of intact limbs.
People with leg amputations were able to control their prosthetic limbs with their brains in a significant scientific advance.
A bionic leg controlled by thoughts has allowed people with amputations to walk more naturally and faster in a trial.
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Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
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Deception
(100%)
None Found At Time Of
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Fallacies
(95%)
No formal fallacies found. There are some inflammatory rhetorical statements and appeals to authority. Dichotomous depictions are present in the comparison between traditional prosthetics and the bionic leg.
. . . led to a more natural gait, improved stability on stairs and uneven terrain . . .
A group of patients with amputations below the knee were able to control the movements of their prosthetic legs through neural signals and resume walking with a natural gait.
>2 million Americans are currently living with a lost limb, and nearly 200,000 lower legs are amputated each year in the United States.
AMI amputations have become the standard at Brigham and Women's Hospital
People with leg amputations were able to control their prosthetic limbs with their brains in a significant scientific advance.
The new method allows for a smoother gait and enhanced ability to navigate obstacles.
Patients who underwent the Ewing amputation experienced less muscle atrophy and less phantom pain.
Participants with the Ewing amputation were able to use their bionic limb to walk faster and with a more natural gait than those who underwent traditional amputations.
The novel prosthesis allows users to easily navigate ramps and stairs.
Accuracy
Seven patients in the trial reported less pain, muscle atrophy, and felt their prosthetic was part of their body compared to traditional amputations.
