A future prosthetic limb device.

The first amputees were undoubtedly survivors of accidental amputations . Similarly, the first adaptive device was probably a forked stick used as a crutch to substitute for the lost function of an amputated leg . The eventual invention of a padded peg leg was a major technical breakthrough and became common practice for several centuries . There are historical accounts of armor manufacturers designing marvelously ingenious artificial joints as early as the 15th and 16th centuries (1) . It was not until the 20th century, however, that any significant technological gains were made in prosthetic devices . Today, a wide variety of technically sophisticated prosthetic appliances are available, many of which exhibit amazingly lifelike function and appearance. As advanced as the new devices are, however, their use by amputees is still severely hampered by problems at the interface between the appliance and the residual limb, which is the same problem that faced the wearer of the peg leg centuries ago. Perhaps the most troublesome problem today is pain associated with the tissues of the stump that must bear the weight of the