Hearing and Touch Mediate Sensations via Osseointegrated Prostheses
From: Medcial Design Technology - 04/06/2017

A new study has found that people with a prosthesis attached directly to
their skeleton can hear by means of vibrations in their implant. This sound
transmission through bones is an important part of osseoperception - sensory
awareness of the patient's surroundings provided by their prosthesis. The
discovery sheds new light on the tactile and auditory perception of humans
and can be used to develop improved prostheses.

How can we help amputees regain tactile sensations and other natural feelings
while grasping an object or walking on uneven ground?

An international group of researchers in Sweden and Italy offers a new
answer. They have demonstrated for the first time that patients with
implanted osseointegrated prostheses (ones attached directly to the skeleton)
are able to perceive external stimuli better by hearing through their limb
implants.

These results show that osseointegration, which allows for stable mechanical
attachment of robotic prostheses directly to the skeleton through a titanium
implant, improves patients' functionality, comfort, and ability to perceive
the world around them.

Read the entire article at:
https://www.mdtmag.com/news/2017/04/hearing-and-touch-mediate-sensations-osseointegrated-prostheses

Link:
Max Ortiz Catalan
http://www.chalmers.se/en/staff/Pages/max-jair-ortiz-catalan.aspx