Ground breaking bionic hand fitted in the UK

The revolutionary lifelike bionic limb was fitted with engineer, Christopher Taylor after he lost his hand in a jet skiing accident. The bionic hand, named the Michelangelo cost £47,000 and is controlled by muscle signals from Taylor’s brain. The thumb and forefingers of the hand are able to move independently of one another. The hand is said to be vastly better than other prosthetics currently available on the market.

Geoff Harding, Prosthetics Business Manager at Ottobock Healthcare, which developed the hand, said, “This is a hugely exciting medical innovation and we're delighted that Christopher has found the Michelangelo so comfortable and easy to use.

“We hope that Christopher's story shows other amputees that real, effective solutions are available and look forward to watching his progress with Michelangelo.”

The limb was fitted by Dorset Orthopaedic Director of Clinical Services David Hills, who said the company was looking for other patients to be fitted with the bionic hand.

The Michelangelo - named after the Italian artist's painting of God and Adam touching hands is made of soft and hard components, mirroring bones, joints, muscles and tendons. It has a silicone socket, attaching the hand to Taylor's arm. The hand can also be covered with a glove to match the patients natural skin tone.

Hills said, “Traditionally, upper limb sockets are made from rigid materials such as glass fibre. We have, however, developed 100 percent silicone sockets which are proving to be much more comfortable due to their flexibility, especially around bony areas such as the elbow.”