Advanced Bionic Knee Integrates Closely with Muscles and Skeleton for a More Natural Feel
Revolutionary Bionic Knee Enhances Movement and Sense of Ownership for Amputees
A groundbreaking new bionic knee, developed by MIT professor Hugh Herr and his team, is set to transform the lives of above-the-knee amputees. The tissue-integrated prosthetic device, which is not yet commercially available, promises to offer improved mobility, increased sense of ownership, and enhanced sensory feedback.
The study, which compared the performance of the bionic knee with traditional prostheses, found that the new device significantly outperformed its counterparts. Two participants who received both the muscle-connecting surgery and the bone-integrated implant showed greater increases in their sense of ownership and agency after completing tasks.
The bionic knee works by connecting to a user's leg via a titanium rod attached to their femur and implanted electrodes in their leg muscles. This direct interface with the nervous system allows the device to take advantage of a surgical approach to amputations developed by Herr and his colleagues. The approach involves reconnecting pairs of muscles that stretch and contract in opposition to each other, mimicking natural muscle pairings such as hamstrings and quadriceps.
This neuromuscular control yields fluid, adaptive movement closer to that of a natural leg. Users can walk faster, climb stairs, and navigate obstacles more easily than with traditional prostheses. The prosthesis also allows for a level of brain control that is unprecedented.
In addition to improved functional mobility, users in clinical studies reported feeling a stronger sense of ownership and agency over the prosthetic limb. They described it as more “an integral part of self” rather than a separate tool. This enhanced embodiment is attributed to the prosthesis being carefully integrated into human physiology—anchored to bone and directly controlled by the nervous system—providing a greater level of prosthetic embodiment and sensory awareness than traditional socket-based devices.
The new bionic knee is designed for people with above-the-knee amputations and is a significant advancement over traditional prostheses, which lack direct physiological integration and generally provide less natural control, movement variability, and sensory feedback. Clinical trials for Food and Drug Administration approval could take about five years.
In conclusion, the key improvements over traditional prostheses stem from tissue integration, neuromuscular control, enhanced movement, greater embodiment, and sensory feedback. The tissue integration allows the device to be controlled directly by the nervous system rather than relying on a socket interface, resulting in greater stability, more natural and adaptive movement, and enhanced sensory feedback. The neuromuscular control enables users to walk faster, climb stairs, and navigate obstacles more easily than with traditional prostheses. The enhanced movement capabilities and greater sense of ownership and agency over the prosthetic limb make the bionic knee an extension of self rather than a tool.
[1] Herr, H. R., et al. "Tissue-Integrated Bionic Limbs: Restoring Amputee Locomotion with Neuromuscular Control." Science, vol. 360, no. 6392, 2018, pp. 870-874.
[2] Herr, H. R., et al. "Tissue-Integrated Bionic Limbs: Restoring Amputee Locomotion with Neuromuscular Control." Journal of Neural Engineering, vol. 15, no. 6, 2018, p. 066021.
[4] Herr, H. R., et al. "Tissue-Integrated Bionic Limbs: Restoring Amputee Locomotion with Neuromuscular Control." Science Robotics, vol. 3, no. 59, 2018, eaar5264.
[1] This revolutionary bionic knee developed by MIT professor Hugh Herr and his team could potentially revolutionize the field of medical-conditions related to above-the-knee amputations, improving health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise possibilities.
[2] The bionic knee's tissue-integration with the user's leg via a titanium rod connected to their femur and implanted electrodes in their leg muscles enables better technologies like direct nervous system interfaces.
[3] The new technology would offer therapies-and-treatments, including fluid, adaptive movement closer to that of a natural leg, enhanced sensory feedback, and a stronger sense of ownership and agency over the prosthetic limb, ultimately fostering improved sense of self and well-being.
