Timeline of Upper Extremity Prosthetics
Upper extremity terminal devices have been around for a very long time. Unfortunately, until Marins Med LLC came along and reengineered the voluntary closing and locking device with the ProHensor RCS, prosthetics for hands have not significantly advanced since the end of WWII.
THE FIRST KNOWN PROSTHETIC WAS A WOODEN TOE ON A ROMAN CITIZEN.
476 AD -
In the Dark Ages hand hooks were common for those who could afford to have them fitted. Most prostheses of the time were made to hide deformities or injuries sustained in battle.
1400’s - 1800’s -
The Renaissance saw artificial limbs made with new materials like copper, iron, steel, and wood. By returning to medical discoveries of the Greeks and Romans concerning prosthetics, the Renaissance proved to be a rebirth in its history.
1861 -
The US Civil War begins advancements for soldiers with missing limbs. James Hanger, a Civil War amputee, starts Hanger Limb Co. A company still in business today.
1912 -
The Voluntary Closing Hook is patented. It is still the number one selling terminal device in the United States.
1945 -
WWII is the impetus for the US Committee on Prosthetics Research and Development. Over 80,000 amputees result from the war.
1984 -
Lower extremities make “strides” with carbon graphite technology developed by Van Phillips. No substantial advancements result for body-powered upper extremities.