Prosthetic and Robotic Limbs

As the medical world continues to make technological advancements, so does warfare. Employing different technologies in warfare means there’s going to be different kinds of wounds that need tending to. Between the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 1,500 American soldiers have lost an arm or a leg, and hundreds have had to have multiple limbs amputated. One way the medical world is trying to keep is by funding the research and creation of prosthetic and robotic limbs, with mixed results and success so far. The medical shipping world assists by widening the range of where these materials may come from, and assisting in delivering the proper equipment to contribute to studies.

Limbs enable more than we could possibly think about or notice on any given day, unless we had to live suddenly without one. Prosthetic and robotic limbs are trying to get to a place where they can still enable some of those things (holding onto something with a hand, walking with two legs), without being a painful addition. Veterans have thus found prosthetic legs more comfortable than arms, which can hurt when worn for prolonged periods of time and harder to get used to functioning. Our hands, in particular, are so sensitive and have such a subtle range of motion that can be difficult to replicate. It’s important to try to keep developing these prosthetics so that not only are they useful, but bring a certain level of actual comfort as well.

Medical shipping makes technological advancements more possible in that it widens international connectivity. Materials and equipment can be put together from thousands of miles apart with proper delivery. War brings tremendous psychological and physical injury, and we must keep on top of finding better and more thorough ways of helping to heal; the medical field must play its part and make veteran care a priority.