Complex electronics and five motors contained in the fingers enable every digit of the i-LIMB to be powered individually. A passive positioning of the thumb enables various grip configurations to be activated. The myoelectric signals from the stump control the prosthetic hand; muscle signals are picked up by electrodes on the skin and transferred to the control electronics in the prosthetic hand. Batteries provide the necessary power.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed a rule that will improve the accuracy of payment for services furnished to people with Medicare who need the intensive rehabilitation services provided by Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs). These include patients who are recovering from serious illnesses or injuries, such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, severe burns, amputations and a number of other conditions. There are currently more than 1,200 facilities that are paid as IRFs.

Medical News Today has an interesting article on the discovery of armed forces surgeons who have discovered that mobility limitations in soldiers who have required amputations can prevent formation of scar tissue and can inhibit the development of stiffness and mobility challenges.

A procedure currently performed all over the world for cosmetic purposes might also improve wound healing and limb function for soldiers who are severely hurt and scarred during combat. Dr. Adam Katz, plastic surgeon and researcher at the University of Virginia Health System, will conduct research in this area under the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM). White House officials announced the formation of AFIRM, which has received more than $80 million for research.

It seems that in some instances maggots are able to single…um…maggotedly reduce the incidence of amputation and resulting disability more frequently than traditional techniques. Maggot therapy isn’t really anything new — it’s been well documented amongst veterans of wars since the 1200s. But it’s no less disgusting than it always has been. At any rate, Medicare is considering covering prescriptions for medical maggots. Ick!

Belgian researchers have developed a brainwave reading headset which requires no batteries, and no external power source, overcoming a powerful obstacle to using this type of technology for day to day assisted living for the disabled. Combine this assistive technology with a little 4G WiFi, predictive neuroscience, some useful computer software, perhaps a GPS tracking device attached to an iPhone controlled electric scooter/wheelchair or exoskeleton, and the human body is on track to become more of a simple brain house than a work horse. The possibilities are limitless.

Researchers at the University of Alabama, Birmingham, have discovered that an increase in grey matter in the brains of stroke patients and accident victims can result in drastically increased mobility of a disabled limb. While the mechanism for this improvement is not yet fully understood, research into this phenomena is expected to produce information and results over the next few years.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have identified a process by which sections of nerves, such as those within the spinal cord, have what has been termed a ‘burst generator’ which controls rhythmic motions such as walking. This research, sadly only completed in medicinal leeches at print time, may lead to insights into treatment methodologies to help restore mobility in the future.

Italian researchers have successfully prevented relapses in 60 percent of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) sufferers in a new study researching the effectiveness of oral medication into the effects of this devastating condition. Currently most MS medications need to be injected, resulting in discomfort and lowered rates of adoption. Though research is both early and continuing, the promising results for an oral delivery route for effective medication could prove to enhance the quality of life for roughly 3 million patients worldwide.

Purpose

1. To evaluate improvements in hand function in stable, cervical spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects treated with functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted exercise;
2. To compare the information obtained from existing qualitative and quantitative hand function tests with newly developed tests of sensorimotor performance.

Stem cell experimentation has long been touted as the panacea for treatment of many mobility limiting diseases, particularly those that are neurologic in nature. The FDA is taking tenative first steps toward getting a productive and viable clinical trial and research program operational.