An osseointegrated human-machine gateway for long-term sensory feedback and motor control of artificial limbs

For the first time, a patient with transhumeral amputation was implanted with a neuromusculoskeletal prosthesis attached directly to the bone, nerves, and muscles in the residual limb. Over the course of one year, the patient demonstrated more dexterous control of the hand by delicately holding an egg without breaking it and operating the prosthesis while touching his toes and reaching his arm overhead, tasks which were more difficult with his previous conventional socket prosthesis. Direct electircal stimulation of the nerve furthermore provided the patient with a sense of touch felt on his missing hand. The neuromusculoskeletal prosthesis gives patients more freedom of movement and invuitive control over the hand, and may represent the next revolution in the field of neuroprosthetics.