Oscar gets to try his new feet
A cat that had its back feet severed by a combine harvester has been given two prosthetic limbs in a pioneering operation by a UK vet.
The new feet are custom-made implants that "peg" the ankle to the foot. They are bioengineered to mimic the way deer antler bone grows through the skin.
The operation - a world first - was carried out by Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Surrey.
His work is explored in a BBC documentary called The Bionic Vet.
The prosthetic pegs, called intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics (Itaps) were developed by a team from University College London led by Professor Gordon Blunn, who is head of UCL's Centre for Biomedical Engineering.
Professor Blunn and his team have worked in partnership with Mr Fitzpatrick to develop these weight-bearing implants, combining engineering mechanics with biology.
Mr Fitzpatrick explained: "The real revolution with Oscar is [that] we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone."
"We have managed to get the bone and skin to grow into the implant and we have developed an 'exoprosthesis' that allows this implant to work as a see-saw on the bottom of an animal's limbs to give him effectively normal gait."
Professor Blunn told BBC News the idea was initially developed for patients with amputations who have a "stump socket".
"This means they fix their artifical limb with a sock, which fits over the stump. In a lot of cases this is sucessful, but you [often] get rubbing and pressure sores."
The Itap technology is being tested in humans and has already been used to create a prosthetic for a woman who lost her arm in the July 2005 London bombings.
"The intriguing thing with Oscar was that he had two implants - one in each back leg, and in quite an unusual site," Professor Blunn told BBC News.
He said that the success of this operation showed the potential of the technology.
"Noel has some brilliant ideas," he added. "And we're continuing to work closely with him to develop new technologies."
that's so cool.. reminds me of the time the Japanese fellas made a new tail fluke for a dolphin
touching.
i went to search the pic:
Meow!
Do they install bionic feet for pigeons?
i happened to see 1 pigeon without one of its feet
Originally posted by BanguIzai:i went to search the pic:
the video link in on top.
indeed a cat has 9 lives..
glad to see it having a new lease of life again..
Originally posted by Clivebenss:the video link in on top.
didnt notice u embedded the link within
that's so cool..
btw.. the artificial tail for a dolphin at the Okinawa Aquarium
Originally posted by the Bear:that's so cool..
btw.. the artificial tail for a dolphin at the Okinawa Aquarium
nice.
Originally posted by the Bear:that's so cool..
btw.. the artificial tail for a dolphin at the Okinawa Aquarium
Dolphins belong in the sea. Not in aquariums. That fin isn't going to make a difference. Many people are still oblivious to the sufferings of dolphins Japan. Go watch "The Cove" and you'll understand.
Originally posted by dibilo:Dolphins belong in the sea. Not in aquariums. That fin isn't going to make a difference. Many people are still oblivious to the sufferings of dolphins Japan. Go watch "The Cove" and you'll understand.
This is Singapore not Japan or the States or even Australia. There are no wild dolphins around this island's surround seas.
I watched the video above. Somehow the way the cat walks after installing the new feet seems different. The shape, length and profile of the artificial feet legs are different from its original ones since birth. But it makes it better for the cat since it can walk again free to explore its territories.
See video below on my fav online siamese been put on santa socks. In this situation the feel on its feet is differnt resulting in awkward movements of its legs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5DDsYhFIk4&feature=related