LEGAL ISSUES
The way artificial limbs are designed they are carefully studied by the safety laws of the FDA. It is their job to care-for and minimize the amount of risks that are being taken with the surgery. After the surgery patients run a very high risk of hemorrhage and infection, which is why the FDA is very strict about approving implants. In many cases only a small portion of patients suffer from side effects after the surgical implants and are easily treated. Although patients do not suffer from physical pain they tend to suffer from emotional pain, which leads them into depression and experiencing a lot of personality changes. Patients find themselves being discriminated for having disabilities and are sometimes even prevented from doing certain activities making them feel as if they do not belong. For the high amount patients who have decided to go through this surgical procedure, it has been an easy road and they have found themselves to be very satisfied with the results dealing with a minimum amount of side effects.
Other issues involve the testing on animals to develop and research the basics of biocompatibility. Researchers have used animals for many different experiments like testing on lab rats, primates and even hawkmoths to try and link mechanical wires with the nervous system and possibility having neutral implants on patients. All of which can be very harmful to the animals creating issues with organizations that are against animal testing because not all experiments fully succeed and can have negative results like death.
ETHICAL ISSUES
Over time many Ethical issues have risen because of the fear that patients have in human improvement. Many patients feel that the new improvements in the artificial limbs will no longer make them humans but will turn them into robots. In fact researchers have studied that the development of neutral implants will be very essential to those who struggle on a daily basis making their lives a lot easier and possibly having their full physical capabilities back.
For a long time there has also been a lot of controversy about whether the new improvements will give those patients an advantage in life. Artificial limbs are very expensive and cannot be afforded by everyone, giving those who have the money a second chance at life. With the help of technology artificial limbs have improved and become more comforting but what many scientist and inventors do not realize is that with their new developments the price range only gets higher making it nearly impossible for those who are misfortunate to hold onto their hope of ever regaining a normal life.
SOCIAL ISSUES
A social issue that comes with this surgical procedure is discrimination. Many patients have had to deal with the comments that with this new technology they have an advantage to life and physical activities because they do not fully depend on their muscles. For those who have lost a limb and are athletes have had to deal with being left out of activities for not having as much weight as others and being fully discriminated for being disabled. Many argue that if the legs are attached to the person and are being controlled and carried by the individual they are just the same as everyone and should not be seen differently. Patients begin to think less of themselves and feeling like robots falling into depression while already having trouble adjusting to their new life style. With the help of prosthetics the self esteem of many patients has risen making feel more independent and better about themselves.
All of the ethical, legal, and social issues combined are the main reason why the development and improvement for artificial limbs are running at such slow pace. New innovations are being made daily and all of the issues are being accounted for so that the number of problems are reduced.
