Roughly 185,000 amputations occur annually in the United States with around 2 million people in the United States living with a limb loss, according to “Limb Loss Stats” an article on The Ohio State University website. The global prosthetics market is only expected to grow since there are multiple factors that can cause an amputation and the number of people needing them will continue to grow as well. According to “Amputation” by hopkinsmedicine.org, “Amputation can be traumatic (due to an accident or injury) or surgical (due to any of multiple causes such as blood vessel disease, cancer, infection, excessive tissue damage, dysfunction, pain, etc.).” Assistive technology is the main key or solution to most people with amputations. Assistive technology provides people with a new way of functioning and independence after limb loss through the innovative piece of technology known as prosthetics. Giving them a mimicked function of a real limb, the assistive technology allows them to do basic necessary daily activities. However, not everyone can afford a prosthetic. Prosthetics can range anywhere from a couple thousand dollars to even $50,000 or higher. Even though prosthetics are technologically advancing, and are made to fit people’s individual needs, prosthetic limbs should be more affordable for people who need it because it helps those with amputations feel more independent as well as providing a better quality of life.

Assistive technology can be any piece of equipment, software, item, or pretty much any system that has a main goal of increasing or improving any type of functional capabilities. Assistive technology varies from low-tech, mid-tech, and high-tech each category increasing in their price, functioning capabilities and or the amount of time you need to dedicate to. For example, a high-tech piece of assistive technology may cost a lot more than a low-tech and perhaps even may take longer to get used to. The types of goals assistive technology work to help can vary from: Vision, hearing, speech communication, learning, developmental, mobility, environmental adaptations, transportation, sports, daily living and so many more.

There is a huge difference between low-tech and high -tech prosthetics. For example, a low-tech prosthetic arm can be used to pick up things or hold them without having the option to control it like a limb. A high-tech prosthetic could be an entirely technological arm which can mimic the entire function of a real arm or limb with full control of fingers, wrist and other joints. In addition, a low-tech prosthetic leg could be a fixed position. Possibly having one pivot point allowing vertical movement, but not having a full control of motion, prime example being a control of the knee joint. A high-tech prosthetic leg can be a fully metal technological leg with a knee controlled joint motion allowing users to bend at will, run, walk as if it were a regular human leg. Allowing the user to participate in higher intensity activities. These are just some examples of the difference between low-tech and high-tech prosthetics. 

Both the high and low tech prosthetics are amazing innovations created for the well being of people. However the cost of prosthetics is very high. According to “Prosthetic Leg Cost” by health.cosper.com, “ For patients without health insurance, a prosthetic leg typically costs less than $10,000 for a basic prosthetic leg up to $70,000 or more for a more advanced computerized prosthetic leg controlled by muscle movements. Costs depend on the type of leg and the level of amputation.”  The cost of the prosthetics are separate from the additional costs of physical therapy that an amputee will need to undergo, as well as occupational therapy which both can vary from $50-$400 per session. 

Prosthetics should be more affordable for people who need it because of how important they are. It increases people’s quality of life and independence after an amputation or loss of limb. According to the biren law group, “New prosthetic arms have advanced far beyond original options. Myoelectric arms can allow a person to bend and straighten an elbow or open and close fingers on a prosthetic arm simply using their mind. The arm picks up nerve impulses, which are amplified into a motor that allows movement.” With the capability of closing and opening fingers or straightening or bending an elbow gives a person with a loss of upper limb full motion control giving them a chance to do anything and everything they could do or wanted to do before the limb loss. This information provided by biren law group shows how prosthetics are giving people independence and increasing their quality of life because it shows how they can persevere with the new pieces of assistive technology to regain control of their lives and not have to depend on others for basic daily activities.

In addition to prosthetics boosting a person’s independence or quality of life they provide the user with the ability to do activities and exercises they did before the amputation or loss of limb. According to The University of Ohio, there are now specialized prosthetics for tennis, running, cycling and other activities for example weight training. Allowing above-the-elbow amputees to perform bench press and other weight lifting exercises. To show that even after an amputation a sports or fitness dream or goal does not have to be tarnished. This information shows how prosthetics boost people’s independence and quality of life by giving them the ability to do the things they were able to do before the loss of limb. 

The loss of limb may not only affect the activities a person may do but also how they make a living. According to “Ethics in Rehabilitation: Access to Prosthetics and Quality Care Following Amputation” by journalofethics.ama-assn.org, a study was conducted of people with amputations in the United States showing that a very large number of them do not return to work and a large percentage of those who do return to work change occupations. This inability to do the work they did before their amputations increases depression and anxiety among the amputee population. The main key to improving depression and anxiety is to provide the right prosthetics to amputees and help use the devices as efficiently as possible. The assistive technology of prosthetics when used to its highest potential is associated with higher levels of employment and in consequence of that a better quality of life.

Prosthetics can be extremely costly, and one would think that even the most expensive would last a lifetime but that is wrong. Even the most expensive prosthetic limbs are built to withstand only three to five years of wear and tear and will need to be replaced, so it is not a one-time cost according to HSS. The lifespan of a prosthetic will depend on several factors and varies between each person. Some of these factors include how well the user takes care of the prosthetic, the heavy usage of the prosthetic, change in the user’s body especially young users will outgrow their prosthetics. As important as prosthetics are, they cost way too much to have to result in buying a new one in the span of three to five years. This just means those who are not financially prepared to buy prosthetics will have a harder time adjusting and result in having a poorer quality of life. According to “Ethics in Rehabilitation: Access to Prosthetics and Quality Care Following Amputation” it states, “Lifetime estimates for directly associated costs range from $345,000 to nearly $600,000, depending on how often the prosthesis is replaced and the age at time of amputation.” Even if a prosthetics allows you to be employed again but not function to your full capacity how are they expected to pay the price again for a new one in only a couple of years.

An important factor that decides the lifespan of the prosthetic which can decrease from years to months is the heavy usage of them. Some people might need prosthetics just to move around the house or short distances. But others like athletes apply a bigger and heavier usage to the prosthetic making the lifespan shorten by a lot to fit moving long distance, difficult terrain and meet the needs of any types or forms of exercises. So, among the amputee community they will need to replace their current one multiple times throughout their life. In addition, young prosthetic users would have it extremely more difficult since their bodies will continue to develop and change every month, year and so on. The rate in which young users might need to change their prosthetic might be the highest in addition to those who are athletes among the age groups of prosthetic users. Having to pay high amounts of money to keep replacing their prosthetics.

Prosthetic limbs are an extremely amazing innovation when it comes to the overall need in assistive technology. But, with their great demand and need for it in society, it also has a lot of problems that can come from it. According to Medical Center Orthotics & Prosthetics, some of the issues amputees struggle with and need help overcoming can vary from limb pain, back pain, the prosthetic not meeting the user’s needs, poor balance, fatigue, reduced mobility, irritation, skin issues, and even discomfort.

Over time while using a prosthetic there is something referred to as overuse syndrome which is where additional amounts of time and pressure are on the intact limb. Which over time will cause early degradation on the lower back, hip, knee, and ankle. According to Medical Center Orthotics & Prosthetics most of the prosthetic users will encounter back pain especially those with lower limb prosthetics. They also state research in which it was shown that 74% of amputees have skin issues which are associated with prosthetic wear. If left untreated these skin issues can and will oftentimes progress to a new level.

On the other hand, since prosthetics are technologically advanced, the materials are strong, and have overall many benefits, the pricing may seem a small price to pay for what you get. However, there are multiple ways that prosthetics can be more affordable for people. According to Jessie Ying a group of Berkeley students hope to slash the cost of prosthetic hands with their innovative controller board. These groups of students not only tackle the expensive problems with typical prosthetics but also the need of having to replace them over time. Their innovation will benefit the children who need prosthesis because all that would be needed is to print a bigger hand and have no need replacing every component which would be the case in traditional prostheses. With the use of 3D printing the cost to print the hand itself would be under $10. To replace or change the hand would also be under $10 saving people a lot of money. The group of student’s innovations would cost a total around $200.

3D printing is a promising solution to the high costs of prosthetics. According to “3-D Printing to Lower Prosthetic Costs” it states, “3-D printing can make prosthetics more affordable because the production method is inherently less costly than traditional machining. 3-D printers use a computer-aided design (CAD) program to apply layers of material to create a highly precise finished part. Cost is an especially important because most prosthetics only last about five years—even less when designed for a growing child.” This information shows that 3D printing can be a really great replacement to the very expensive prosthetics being used today. Targeting the challenge that comes with the high cost of a prosthetic like having to keep replacing the prosthetic every 3-5 years due overuse and or body growth.

In conclusion, prosthetic limbs have been an amazing assistive technology innovation in humanity. The rate for amputations will only continue to grow and with that, the demand for prosthetics will also inevitably grow as well. It is important that something as important as prosthetics are affordable and accessible for people who need it, and these are just some of the reasons why. As we keep researching and bringing awareness, we can find more solutions to make them more affordable.