Cyborg arm plugs directly into bone

A new prosthetic arm, developed in the U.K., attaches directly to its owner’s bone.

A victim of the London bombings has had a prosthetic arm fitted to her bone and skin in an operation which could herald “a new generation of reconstruction”.
Kira Mason was opposite one of the four men who detonated devices on the transport network on 7 July 2005.
Surgeons were able to fuse a metal pin with her skin tissue, and a battery pack helps to ensure she can clench her fist and flex her muscles.
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Steve Cannon said it was a “breakthrough”

‘Pioneering’ arm for 7/7 victim [BBC]

1. [Jake0748]

   I’m scared to watch too. Wouldn’t jamming a metal pin into your arm bone hurt? A lot?

2. [theawesomerobot]

   That is pretty fantastic, but I think Dean Kamen has these guys beat. (of course, a government budget certainly helps)

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0_mLumx-6Y

3. [zuzu]

   “Gentlemen, we can rebuild her. We have the technology.”

4. [Rooney]

   Cyberdine systems?

5. [devophill]

   #7 Andygates- Exactly. I noticed that the presenters couldn’t ignore the arm, and didn’t realize where the real innovation was here.

6. [andygates]

   #5, ignore the arm – it’s a pretty ordinary arm. The story here is the mount, which is a titanium rod into the bone, coated with Special Sauce so it doesn’t cross-infect where it passes through the skin, and with a clever (and bio-mimicking) “basket” area which lets the flesh grow into and through it, like it does on a deer antler.

   The precision and feeling she has with that arm is because it’s so well attached.

   Clip a Dean Kamen arm onto that attachment, and we’re *really* in business. No more slipping sockets, no more pressure-sores and bloody cuffs for athletes: this really is a Big Deal.

   Prediction: this will be the new standard in a very short time.

7. [hammurdler]

   Hopefully soon technology will advance far enough and we’ll be able to remove that hideous bracelet.

8. [OM]

   …I’d heard they’d been working on the metal/skin interface for some time, but wasn’t aware they’d actually gotten this far with human trials. I’d give my left nut for a right leg that’s attached like this even though “Stumpy” is finally starting to adapt to the “football helmet” I’m having to wear to attach my own fake leg. I’m *really* glad to see Kira Mason has gotten this far, and hope that the implant continues to be 110% successful.

9. [Halloween Jack]

   Holy crap, is the bone actually exposed there? I can’t play the video.