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Most amputations cut muscle pairs that control joints such as the elbow or ankle, disrupting sensory feedback on the position of the limb in space that will help patients control the prosthesis. It seems that a surgical technique developed by MIT researchers leaves the amputee with more control and less pain than people who have had regular amputations.
When the Biomechatronics Group, led by Hugh Herr (SM ’93), invented the Biomechatronics Group, invented a few years ago at the MIT Media Lab in myoneural interface (AMI) surgery, the two ends of the muscle reconnect, still the remaining limb: the pair contracts when the other is stretched, sending known signals to the brain.
A examination Under the knee, published in February, 15 patients with AMI amputations found that they controlled their muscles more precisely than patients with regular amputations. Unexpectedly, AMI patients reported greater freedom of movement and less pain in the affected limbs.
“It was becoming increasingly clear that restoring muscles to their normal physiology had benefits not only for prosthesis control, but also for daily mental well-being,” says Shriya Srinivasan, a 20-year-old doctor, MIT PhD and lead author. research.
Researchers have developed a technique to reconnect muscle pairs between people who have had a traditional amputation. AMI procedures for amputations are being developed at other points, above the knee and below the elbow, and the benefits are being measured to better control a prosthetic advantage.
“We are learning that this technique, which uses spare parts for re-wiring and rebuilding the limb, is working and is applicable to various parts of the body,” says Herr.
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