MIT's AMI Surgical Technique and Bionic Leg Improve Mobility for Amputees

Jul 2, 2024, 05:22 AM

Researchers have developed a new surgical technique and bionic leg that significantly improve mobility for people with below-the-knee amputations. The bionic leg, driven by the nervous system, allows users to walk naturally and control their prosthetics more seamlessly. This breakthrough, reported in Nature Medicine, involves a neuroprosthetic interface that reconnects muscles to provide proprioceptive feedback. Seven patients who underwent the procedure could walk as fast as those without amputations, navigate obstacles, and climb stairs more naturally. The innovation, developed by researchers at MIT and Brigham and Women's Hospital, uses the agonist-antagonist myoneural interface (AMI) and mind control, and is expected to become a standard practice in amputation surgeries.