Three Austrian men have become the first to undergo “bionic reconstruction”, replacing hands that had been left useless in accidents with robotic prosthetic hands controlled by their mind.
According to a study published in The Lancet medical journal, the bionic hands mean that the men are able to accomplish everyday tasks such as undoing buttons, picking up a ball or using a key for the first time since their accidents up to 17 years earlier.
The men had all damaged the network of nerves that send signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand in motoring or climbing accidents.
Doctors had previously attempted some reconstruction of the affected area, known as the brachial plexus, but they still had poor hand function.
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