David Brockman, a retired firefighter and hand amputee, shows off his new myoelectric prosthetic device.
David Brockman, a retired firefighter and hand amputee, shows off his new myoelectric prosthetic device. UC Davis surgeons performed targeted muscle reinnervation surgery and used smart prosthetics to provide better muscle control, improved sensory feedback and less limb pain for amputees. (Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis)

Making Prosthetics More Lifelike

Scientists and Surgeons Team Up to Make Life Easier for Amputees

"David Brockman, a retired CalFire captain and avid outdoorsman, built a deck in the backyard of his home last year, without the use of his dominant right hand, which he lost in an accident. The prosthetic hand he used instead was a crude but functional steel hook-and-harness device.

Brockman has tried other artificial limbs, including a high-tech prosthesis called a myoelectric. It looks like a hand and works by using electrical signals from muscles in the forearm. But that one just didn’t work for him."

Read the full story at UC Davis News

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