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Bionic Reconstruction of the Upper Extremity
Oskar C. Aszmann, MD; Malvina Herceg, MD; Tatjana Paternostro, MD; Hans Dietl, DI, Dr; Manfred Frey, MD
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Vienna, Austria

Brachial plexus injuries or actual massive tissue damage of the upper extremity may permanently impair hand function. The dream to reconstruct this loss with biologic and/or technical means has been in the centre of our endeavors for many years. Here we report for the first time of two young men who have successfully regained hand function by bionic reconstruction. This concept involves complex neuromuscular reconstruction to establish intuitive myosignals which will enable patients to control a highly complex mechatronic device. After amputation of the functionless hand, both patients were fitted with a bionic hand and regained excellent function at 2 months.

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