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Ancient India 3,500 B.C. to 1800 B.C.
Queen Vishpla was an amputee. She was fitted with and iron leg that didn't have any function whatsoever, but still had to enter the battlefield. -
Before 600 B.C.
First prosthetic made was before 600 B.C. on a mummified foot. This small prosthetic device was wooden attatched to the foot with string. -
Ancient Egyptians - 950 to 710 B.C.
Egyptians also made false limbs during the burial process of their nobles and monarchs. During this time, the limbs were used purely for aesthetic reasons. -
300 B.C.
This was the oldest known prosthetic leg- the Capua leg- was crafted by Romans from bronze and iron with a wooden core. -
476 B.C.
Peg legs and hand hooks were common during this time. Knights were often fitted with prostheses designed to hold a shield or fit in stirrups. -
424 to 1 B.C.
Artificial leg was found with bronze and iron with a wooden core. -
Dark Ages- 100-1100
There is now more improvement from peg legs and hand hooks. Knights still had to get prosthetics, but they were not very mobile. Unless you were a noble, you wouldn't get good items. -
1400's- Renaissance time period
Copper, iron, steel, and wood (new materials) were the most common materials used for prosthetics during this time. Most new comfortable materials were created and improved. -
1508
Gotz Von Berlichingen was one of the first to have a prosthetic hand crafted out of iron- he lost his arm in a sword fight. -
1529
French military doctor, Ambriose Pare, was famous for his amputation techniques. He is known as the father of moder amputation surgery and prosthetic design. -
1696
Pieter Andriannszoon Verydun created the first non-locking prosthetic device for below the knee amputees. -
Beginning of the 19th century
This is the beginning of enhanced and popular devices due to telephones and phone directories. Medical doctors were able to place illustrative adds. -
1800
James Pott designed wooden prosthesis and also a stell knee joint and articulated foot that is controlled by the tendons. -
1840
Adriannszoon Verduyn created the first non-locking prosthetic limb for below the knee amputations. -
1843
Sir James Syme describes his method for amputating at the ankle. This method allowed the patient to walk again (before made at thigh) -
1861
30,000 amputees were reported on the Union side alone. Prosthetic devices are a little more advanced at this time because of so many patients. -
1863 (During the Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the U.S. started to see advancements in the field of prosthetics. The cosmetic rubber hand was introduced at this time. -
1898
Giuliano Vanghetti created a procedure for using the remaining muscles and tendons of a person to move a prosthetic limb. -
1915
The first externally powered prosthetic limb is invented in Germany. -
1945- World War II
Most limbs were made from a combination of wood and leather. As people fought, the prosthesis were heavy, and leather can become dirty becasue it absorbed a lot of sweat. -
1970's to 1990's
Plastics, polycarbohydrates, resins, and laminates were introduced as a light and easy-to-clean alternative to wood and leather models. (More comfortable) -
Animals and Prosthetic Devices- 2005
The most well known animal with a prosthetic is Winter, the dolphin. She comes out in the movie "Dolphin Tale", and it explains how she got her prosthetic tail after it got amputated. -
Animals and Prosthetic Devices cont.- 2007
Beauty, the bald eagle, has a prosthetic beak after it got shattered due to a bullet hitting it. -
2012- Modern
Motor-powered prosthesis are the newest type of prosthetics. They are made to increase balance and for better movement. -
Today- Present Day
This has advanced to highly specialized prosthetics that has certainly come a long way. More technology like robotics, brain-computer interfaces, and 3D printing are used now.
