Amputation of foot and leg with prostheses examples
Given that we largely only need our legs for balance and ambulation, and that we’re (usually) perfectly capable of balancing with one leg, making functional prostheses for the lower extremities was much simpler than making functional arms and hands. Heck, even a peg leg could work fine in most situations, at least if it was fitted well.
Most prostheses in the early-to-mid 19th century were focused more on aesthetics than on true usability. They looked like the real thing, and could easily be masked by pants and shoes, but they were often clunky, heavy, and ill-fitted (causing sores at the articulation point). Some doctors were trying to work on functional knees for prosthetic legs by that point, but those were even worse to use, as the “joint” was difficult to control.
Traité complet de l’anatomie de l’homme comprenant la medecine operatoire, par le docteur Marc Jean Bourgery. Nicolas Henri Jacob (artist), 1831.
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