Mind-controlled prosthetic hand successfully tested in Austrian patients

Three Austrian patients have become the first in the world to benefit from a new technique that allows them to use a robotic prosthetic hand controlled by the mind.

Researchers from the University of Vienna have worked with engineers at the University Medical Center Goettingen to develop the new bionic reconstruction technique, which combines selective nerve and muscle transfers, elective amputation and replacement with an advanced robotic prosthesis.

All three subjects had experienced brachial plexus injuries that had left them with poor hand function. Before the procedure, they each spent an average of nine months undergoing cognitive training to activate the muscles and use the electrical signals to control first a virtual hand, then a hybrid prosthetic attached to a splint-like device fixed to their non-functioning hand.

Post-amputation, the patients were able to accomplish a number of everyday tasks that had previously been beyond their capabilities, such as picking up a ball, using a key, pouring water from a jug and undoing buttons.

They also benefited from a better quality of life and less pain, according to findings published in The Lancet.

Professor Oskar Aszmann, director of the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Restoration of Extremity Function at the Medical University of Vienna, said: "So far, bionic reconstruction has only been done in our centre in Vienna. However, there are no technical or surgical limitations that would prevent this procedure from being done in centres with similar expertise and resources."