Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Thursday 12 april 2018
5 years on, marathon bomb survivors inspire medical advances

By PHILIP MARCELO then develop technology soon.
BOSTON (AP) — In the five that will translate brain sig- The 39-year-old from the
years since the Boston Mar- nals into movement of an Boston area lost his right leg
athon bombing, medical artificial leg. Amputees in the blast, and his badly
science has made promis- might one day even be maimed left leg causes him
ing advances in amputa- able to perceive sensations unceasing pain. He fears
tions and artificial limbs, through their prostheses. another amputation might
in part because of lessons "We're systematically re- be his only option.
learned from the victims designing the body along The artificial limbs that Fu-
and research dollars made with synthetics in order to carile and other survivors
available as a result of the maximize communication were fitted with generally
attack. between the body and the last five to seven years, so
Some of the 17 people machine," said Hugh Herr, the patients will have to
who lost limbs in the April co-director of the Center decide on the right tech-
15, 2013, bombing could, for Extreme Bionics at MIT nology for the next phase
like many other amputees, In this March 20, 2018, photo, Boston Marathon bombing survi- and a partner with Carty of their lives. “Sometimes
benefit from these devel- vor Marc Fucarile holds his thigh socket as he tests a variety of on the project. "It's remark- the top-of-the-line Porsche
opments, since many are microprocessor-controlled prosthetic knees, during a visit to the ably exciting." isn’t always practical,” said
Medical Center Orthotics and Prosthetics in the Allston neigh-
coming to a crossroads in borhood of Boston. While the fruits of that work Paolo Bonato, who over-
their treatment. A number Associated Press may be years in the future, sees research on artificial
still struggle with pain, and marathon survivors might limbs at Spaulding Reha-
others may be looking to for the next one." me was the need to im- also benefit from other en- bilitation Hospital in Boston,
replace their prostheses, Among other places where prove amputations," said couraging developments. where many of the victims
which are approaching research is taking place is Dr. Matthew Carty, a One procedure involves di- were treated. “It might be
the end of their useful life. Boston, where doctors are Brigham & Women's sur- rectly connecting artificial more sensible to have a
limbs to bones using tita- Honda.” Rarely seen on ci-
nium implants. These bone- vilians five years ago, the
anchored prostheses have prosthetic devices used
been placed on hundreds by many survivors have mi-
of patients in other coun- croprocessors and sensors
tries, but it wasn't until 2015 that automatically adjust
that the use of the devices the limb and allow for more
was allowed in the U.S. natural movements. They
Roughly 50 such opera- are now more common,
tions have been done in but they can cost any-
this country, including 16 at where from about $15,000
Walter Reed, according to to more than $100,000,
Potter. said Spaulding’s Dr. David
Brigham & Women's is also Crandell. For some ampu-
among the U.S. hospitals tees, insurance often isn’t
seeking to do the nation's enough to cover the costs.
first successful leg trans- The Boston victims, though,
plant . The surgical feat has received payouts from a
been accomplished in only compensation fund, and
In this March 2, 2018, photo, Boston Marathon bombing survivor Marc Fucarile heads down the a few countries, including some have launched fund-
North Peak on a mono-ski during "Camp sNOw Limits", an outing for 23 amputee athletes, at the Spain and Canada. raising efforts or found oth-
Sunday River ski resort in Newry, Maine. Bombing survivor Marc Fu- er ways to cover their costly
Associated Press carile, who was the last to devices. Fucarile, whose
be released from the hos- carbon fiber and titanium
pital, said he is intrigued by leg was initially developed
"The collective experience working to combine an im- geon who is developing
in the aftermath of the Bos- proved amputation meth- the new amputation tech-
ton Marathon bombing od with more sophisticated nique. "We've made amaz-
was a very positive one in artificial limbs so that am- ing advances in prosthet-
the medical community putees can one day use ics technology — really by
because there was a lot of their brains to control their leaps and bounds — but
crosstalk between military prostheses. the way we do amputa-
and civilian surgeons," said The project grew out of tions hasn't kept up to
Dr. Benjamin Potter, chief lessons learned by Boston speed with the capabilities
of orthopedics at Wal- doctors treating victims that exist now."
ter Reed National Military of the marathon attack. It The new lower-leg amputa-
Medical Center in Mary- also was made possible by tion technique, which has
land, where three survivors $200,000 in seed funding so far been done on seven
were treated and doctors from the Gillian Reny Step- people, preserves tendons
are attempting some of the ping Strong Center for Trau- normally severed during In this April 9, 2018, photo, Boston Marathon bombing survivor
cutting-edge procedures. ma Innovation , a founda- an amputation. Tendons Marc Fucarile cranks the handles on his racing handcycle while
"That exchange and that tion launched by the family connect muscles to bone training in Reading, Mass., for this year's Boston Marathon.
dialogue has been one of a bombing survivor treat- and are necessary to move Associated Press
of the silver linings to have ed at Brigham & Women's one's limbs.
come out of this, in that Hospital. The hope is that research- the new advances, even if to help wounded soldiers
we're hopefully better edu- "One of the things the ers at the Massachusetts he isn't in a rush to go un- return to battle, said his
cated and better prepared bombings crystallized for Institute of Technology can der the knife again anytime prosthesis is no luxury.q