Library speaker

Don Shurr, director of education for American Prosthetics and Orthotics, led a program at the Monticello library on April 27 highlighting the history and future of prosthetics. He is also an adjunct lecturer in physical therapy education  at the University of Iowa. Shurr's talk was the final discussion under the library’s adult STEM program, “Pushing the Limits.” Shurr said prosthetics stems all the way back to 900 B.C. when they were made of wood and leather, but not functional prosthesis. By the 1800s, an articulated knee and foot prosthesis were developed that were able to bend. In 1848, the first U.S. patent for an artificial limb was awarded to B. Frank Palmer. It was made of wood. In 1959, Hans Mauch invested the first hydraulic leg, which still remains in use today. By the early 1990s, developers were incorporating microprocessor technology to adjust to the amputee’s walking speed. Today, 3-D printers are being used for parts needed within various prosthetics. Here, Shurr demonstrates a Be Bionic myoelectric hand. (Photo by Kim Brooks)

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