Oscar, a three-year old British cat, has joined the rarefied ranks of bionic animals. After a horrifying accident chopped off his hind legs, Oscar has gotten a second lease on life through two bionic leg implants.
Oscar lost his legs to a combine harvester last October. With heavy blood loss and bits of missing flesh, he needed to draw on his nine lives to make it. And he found help from veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick and his colleagues drilled holes into what remained of Oscar’s legs and attached special metal implants, reports ABC’s Good Morning America. Eventually, Oscar’s skin is expected to over the implants so the prosthetic attachment will become a part of his body.
Right now, Oscar has round pegs at the end of his hind legs. But if everything goes according to plan, those will be replaced by more real looking� “paws.”
So far, it seems to have worked great.
As you can see in the video, Oscar is doing a great job walking with his prosthetic legs. His gait isn’t perfect but he seems to be working on it and compensating for the bionic legs. And Oscar even climbs on a pack of paper towels.
Oscar isn’t entirely out of the woods yet. He will be closely watched for the next six months to make sure he doesn’t develop sores or infection.
See Also:
- DARPA Pushes for Fail-Proof Prosthetics
- Embracing the Artificial Limb
- The World’s Most Advanced Bionic Arm
- Gallery: Bionic Arms Gain Power, Dexterity, Sensitivity
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/oUk4dI3b8pE/
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