James Byrne, 29, thought he would lose the use of his left hand when he accidently cut off his thumb with a chop-saw in December 2010.

When he was rushed to the hospital surgeons first tried to sew his original thumb back on but the blood would not begin to flow, despite months of different treatments.

Eventually, surgeons decided that the best way to give Byrne back the use of his hand would be to amputate his dominate toe and graft it in place of his irreparable thumb.

And since the side effects of losing his balance would only be short term, the results would easily outweigh the loss of his toe.

A father to one young Connor, 8, and paver and plant operator by trade, Byrne decided to go ahead with the operation in hope that he would be able to return to work.

Consultant Umraz Khan led two teams of surgeons in an 8-hour operation at the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, England – a regional microsurgery center with an international reputation for complex surgeries – to amputate and graft the thumb.

Two months later, operation Byrne began regaining the movement in his replacement digit, which he has nicknamed Toby. Byrne still has to wait for an operation to remove the wires fusing his bones together, and as a result, still has limited movement in his thumb, however his is expected to regain full use with further intense physiotherapy.

James hopes to return to paving job in the New Year and then play rugby shortly after.

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Victoria Royle, 29, had been experiencing symptoms of numbness in her arms and legs for around 48 hours before she went to hospital. Upon arrival she was immediately transferred to intensive care where her condition quickly deteriorated.

Guillain-Barre syndrome simulates a nerve cell, causing the body to attack its own nervous system. In most case the symptoms can be nothing more than pins and needles, but more severe cases it can lead to paralysis and even death.

Victoria Royle Defies The Odds To Walk Down The Aisle

Royle unable to move, swallow, or breathe unassisted, battled the condition for eight weeks before making a miraculous recovery. Doctors allowed her to go home, but warned that she may never come out of her wheel chair ever again.

Although Royle had only been with her boyfriend, Nick, 27, a professional rugby player, for a month when she was struck down by the condition, he stuck by her providing care 24/7. It was her boyfriend’s proposal that gave Royle the determination to walk again. She said:

“Being stuck in a chair for the rest of my life wasn’t an option for me…

“When Nick later proposed, I was determined to walk down the aisle without a zimmer frame.” [Daily Mail.]

Royle endured months of intense physiotherapy but it finally paid off; she eventually took her first steps with a walking stick, and later managed to walk unaided.

But the miraculous story doesn’t end there. Left struggling with bills after taking so much time from work, the couple applied to go on the BBC3′s Don’t Tell The Bride reality show – where the groom is given a £12,000 budget and put in charge of organizing the big day. Unbelievably, they were selected, and the wedding turned out to be the dream day she had always hoped for.

“My wedding day was perfect – it was so emotional walking down the aisle, when two years earlier, I didn’t know if I’d ever walk again…

“Nick has been my rock and I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have him and my health.” [Daily Mail.]

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Trevor Prideaux was born without his left forearm and has worn an artificial limb since he was three years old. Despite coping well with his disability, Prideaux, now 50, became feed up of balancing his smartphone on his prosthetic limb or on a flat surface, and decided to do something about it.

Smartphone Embedded In Prosthetic Limb

He approached Apple, hoping to get an iPhone casing for testing however Cupertino declined his proposal. The idea went on the back burner until he visited his local Nokia shop for an upgrade. Nokia took on his idea, and with help from the Exeter Mobility Center in Devon, UK, the team carefully carved out a dock in Prideaux’s fiberglass and laminate limb, and embedded a Nokia C7 smartphone.

Now, Prideaux can easily press the buttons using his one hand and take calls by holding his prosthetic limb up to his ear.

Although the upgrade to his prosthetic is far from the cyborg concepts of science ficition, it does open plethora of options for the future of prosthetic limbs; think accelerometers and motions sensors used to track health and fitness; or extra storage for digital data or batteries; additional displays or speakers; the possibilities are endless.

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Most experts will agree; this myth is false, knuckle cracking does not led to arthritis. When WebMD spoke with Dimitrios Pappas, MD, assistant professor of medicine at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, about the long-term effects knuckle cracking, he was adamant that the popular childhood activity does not lead to crippling joint pain in your senior years.

Does Knuckle Cracking Cause Arthritis

“There have been a few studies on this. None of them shows any change in the occurrence of arthritis between people who habitually crack their knuckles and those who do not.” [WebMD]

The longest study into such a topic was conducted by one man, Donald Unger, who for 50 years cracked the knuckles in his left hand twice a day whilst leaving his right hand for comparison. After half a century he concluded that there was no arthritis in his left hand. His research netted him the Ig Noble Prize in medicine, a play on the real Noble prize awarded for research that may at first seem crazy, but end up producing viable results that make people think.

Unger, whilst officially the first, was not the only one to conduct such a study, Robert Swezey, M.D., who carried a similar study in 1975 co-authored by his then 12 year old son, also confirms the results.

The cracking noise is not actually made by the bone, it’s actually the sound of a gas bubble that forms and pops as the bones are pulled apart.

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The 24-year-old double-amputee, who uses two carbon-fiber Cheetah prosthetics, will race in the 400m and 4x400m relay. The event begins in Daegu, South Korea on 27 August.

Pistorius has long suffered opposition from the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF), who in 2008 banned athletes with prosthetics from competing alongside able-bodied athletes claiming that the artificial limbs gave them an unfair advantage.

Oscar Pistorius To Compete In World Championships

Fortunately, the Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned that ban allowing Pistorius to compete.

Pistorius is not tipped to win his events, his personal best of 45.07 seconds is just under the qualifying time, however he is hoping to beat his PB and is extremely happy to finally be allowed to compete in the games.

“I have dreamt for such a long time of competing in a major championships and this is a very proud moment in my life.

“It will be a great day for me when I set out on the track in Daegu and I hope to do my country proud.

“This will be the highest-profile and most prestigious able-bodied event which I have ever competed in, and I will face the highest-caliber of athletes from across the planet.”

South Africa’s squad will also see the return of Women’s 800m world champion Caster Semenya, who has now been cleared to run after 11-months awaiting the decision of her gender test.

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The 14 hour operation was lead by Pedro Cavadas, the surgeon who performed Spain’s first face transplant and several arm transplants.

The patient, who lost is legs in a traffic accident and faced life in a wheelchair because prosthetic limbs proved unsuitable, is already out of intensive care and was said to have cried tears of joy when he awoke.

The man and his donor remain unmanned.

Doctors are now waiting to see if the nerves in his legs will grow, and estimate that if the legs are not rejected, the patient should be able to move his knees within one month, stand unaided in swimming poll within two, and hopefully walk again within six.

However, even if nerves begin to grow, there is a long road ahead. Undergoing transplants of such a nature can have a great impact on the patient psychologically.
The first person to receive a new hand in 1998, New Zealander Clint Hallam, opted to have it removed three years later saying it was unsightly and he felt mentally detached from it.

There’s also concern as to whether the new legs will even be able to support his bodyweight.

Nadey Hakim, who performed the world’s first hand and double hand transplants explained that transplanted arms only regain about 50 percent of their original function and strength.

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Young Dugan Smith was 10 years old was doctors found a malignant tumor, near the femur on his right leg. The severity of the rare form of cancer meant that only chemotherapy together with surgery would save his life.

To stop the cancer doctors had to remove a large portion of Smith’s leg, but instead of leaving the amputated leg, they opted for a procedure known as rotationplasty.

To perform the rare operation, Joel Mayerson, a specialist in musculoskeletal oncology at Ohio State University Medical Center and one of the country’s only experts in rotationplasty, and his colleagues first removed the lower half of the Smith’s leg. The diseased section of the leg was then cut out and the remaining lower leg and foot transplanted back on the upper thigh, in the opposite direction.

Because the nerves and blood vessels can be reattached the patient regains the use and feeling in their new limb, even though the limb has been rotated 180 degree. In this position the ankle functions as the knee, the foot as the shin and a prosthetic leg then allows the patient to walk.

Both the doctors and Smith himself opted for a “rotationplasty,” so he could keep playing baseball; and now aged 13, he’s already back on the field pitching for his middle school baseball team.

Rotationplasty was first invented back in the 1950’s, however the rare surgical procedure is only carried out a few times year.

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And that’s exactly what UC Berkeley student, Austin Whitney, used so he could walk for the very first time in several years to accept his graduation certificate.

Whitney was left paralyzed from the hip down following a car accident before college. Determined to continue with his life, he continued studies. After being transferred to UC Berkley, a team of mechanical engineer students, who had already been working on exoskeletons, decided to make a cost effective model to help Whitney and possible many more after him, walk again.

The team managed to reduce the costs from an initial $90,000 spent on the first exoskeleton, to just $15,000 to make Whitney’s. The huge reduction in expenses make the exoskeleton much more affordable for commercial use, however some adjustments still need to be applied to make the device smoother.

Whitney suggests that ‘the machine’s feet needed to be flatter, the height should be adjustable and hand controls should have locks.’

Such stories are always heart moving and inspirational, but watching a young man struck down with life changing disabilities rise above them in front of friends, peers and no doubt enemies, makes the story all the more touching.

Almost everyone can relate to struggles on must endure to make friends, fit in and be accepted at school. And we’ve all seen how those less fortunate than ourselves end up with the rough end of the deal. Throw in the pressure of completing a degree and you’ve got a challenge that I’m sure would get the better of most of us.

So, all the more recognition goes out to Whitney for reminding us that determination is key in achieving your goals, and that the word impossible, just isn’t what it used to be.

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The prize-winning prosthetic writing device, called the BOB-1, was developed by the Girl Scouts Flying Monkey’s robotics team, as part of FIRST Lego League (FLL) competition, an international robotics program.

Prosthetic Invented By Girls Scouts Helps Girl Write

The BOB-1 incorporates a platform for support, a cylindrical holder for the pencil, and an arm strap to secure the prosthetic.

Danielle’s family has worked with the Monkey’s to help improve the device, and has requested another for a 5-year-old boy who also suffers from limb difference.

The Flying Monkey’s have already applied to patent the device, let’s hope it gains more popularity and becomes accessible for those suffering from similar conditions.

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Our spines are made up of 24 vertebrae (not including the sacrum and coccyx) which are separated by soft spinal discs. These discs act as shock absorber for the spine, allowing it to twist and bend in various positions.

Degenerative disc disease can happen anywhere in spine but it typically occurs most often in the lower back (lumbar region) discs, and the neck (cervical region).

Degenerative disc disease can result in:

• Back Pain
• Neck Pain
• Osteoarthritis
• Herniated Disc
• Spinal stenosis – narrowing of spinal canal

These conditions can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves, leading to pain and in more severe cases, impaired nerve function.

What is Degenerative Disc Disease?

What causes degenerative disc disease?

As with all things natural and manmade, our spinal discs begin to wear down with age. This natural process can happen earlier in some and symptoms of pain and impaired functions often differ from patient to patient.

Common causes of degenerative disc disease include:

• The loss of fluid from spinal discs which reduces the discs ability to absorb shock
• The loss of fluid which narrows the distance between the vertebrae can make the spine less flexible
• To combat the reduced space between the vertebrae, the body produces bone spurs known as osteophytes
• Acute injury leading to herniated disc or repetitive strain syndrome can also begin the degradation process
• Small cracks in the outer layer (annulus or capsule) of the disc resulting from injury or strain may allow the jellylike material inside (nucleus) to leak, which can cause the disc to rupture, break or swell

Degenerative disc disease is more likely to occur in people who smoke cigarettes, are obese, or those who do heavy physical work (such as repeated heavy lifting).

Degenerative Disc Disease Symptoms

Neck Pain & Back Pain

The amount and location of pain experienced as a result of degenerative disc disease varies from patient to patient. Some people may fell little pain at all, while other experience chronic pain that can limit their activities.

Although the location of pain varies depending on the location of the problem, an affected disc in the neck region can cause pain or numbness in the arm, and an affected disc in the lower back can result in pain or numbness the leg or buttocks.

Depending on the severity of the affected disc/s, pain can often get worse when performing movements such as twisting the upper body, bending over, or reaching up.

Diagnosing Degenerative Disc Disease

To diagnose degenerative disc disease your doctor will perform a physical examination and check your medical history. They will ask you about your symptoms, previous injuries or illnesses, as well as any hobbies or activities you may have that could be causing the pain.
During the physical examination the doctor will:

• Check the affected area and the resulting pain caused by movement
• Check for areas of tenderness, numbness and weakness
• Test your reflexes
• Check for other conditions such as bone fractures, joint damage, tumors and infections

If your examination reveals no sign of a serious condition, it is likely the imaging tests such as X-ray will not help either.

However, imaging test may be used if your symptoms develop following an injury, if your doctor suspects nerve damage, or if your medical history puts you in the high risk category for bone disease, tumors or infections.

How to Treat Degenerative Disc Disease

To help relieve pain, you can apply an icepack or heat pack (whichever you prefer) to the affected area. Over the counter-drugs such as acetaminophen, paracetamol (Tylenol); or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs including aspirin (Bayer), ibuprofen (Advil); or naproxen sodium (Aleve) can also help to relieve symptoms.

For more severe pain, your doctor may prescribe stronger pain-killers.

WebMD warns not to give aspirin to anyone younger than 20 because of the risk of Reye syndrome.

Further treatment largely depends on whether the damaged disc has lead to other conditions, such as a herniated disc, osteoarthritis, or spinal stenosis.

Doctors commonly recommend physical therapy and exercises for strengthening and stretching the back. However some cases may require surgery.

Surgery for degenerative disc disease typically involves removing the damaged disc. In some cases, the bone is then permanently fused to protect the spinal cord.

Also, artificial discs can also be used to replaces ruptured discs.

Degenerative Disc Disease Surgery

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