2020 Online Salon
A Self-Contained Neuromusculoskeletal Arm Prosthesis
Project Details
- Entrant Name: Natalie Koscal
- Membership Type: Professional Submission
- Address: Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
- Client: The New England Journal of Medicine
- Copyright: 2020 The Massachusetts Medical Society
- Medium/software used: Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator
- Final presentation format: Printed and online journal
- Primary Audience: Medical professionals, especially orthopedic surgeons/specialists, prosthetists, bionics specialists, and biomedical engineers
Project Description
To show the integration of a novel, self-contained robotic arm with the neuromuscular anatomy of a patient following right transhumeral amputation. Bidirectional communication between the arm and the prosthesis is a unique technological feature that other types of prostheses lack. This somatosensory feedback provided relief of phantom limb pain and increased the patient’s sensitivity and control of the prosthesis as compared to their replaced model. The illustration depicts the location of surgical nerve transfer, muscular and neural electrode placement, and the osseointegrated implant system connecting the remnant humerus with the external prosthesis. The relevant nerves are color-coded, allowing the viewer to compare normal upper-limb neuroanatomy in panel A to the surgically rerouted paths of the patient’s nerves in panel B. Fading the opacity of certain structures enabled better visualization of the implant components and their placement.
