LUKE arm prosthetic recipient Junius Moore and Matt Albuquerque, president and founder of Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics, at a press event announcing the prosthesis.

LUKE arm prosthetic recipient Junius Moore and Matt Albuquerque, president and founder of Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics, at a press event announcing the prosthesis.

Junius Moore, 35, a trans-humeral (mid-arm) amputee due to a motor vehicle accident, is the first recipient of an osseointegrated LUKE arm prosthesis combined with post targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) surgery, Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics announces.

Once integrated into the patient’s living bone, the LUKE arm prosthesis is controlled by muscle movements in the remaining limb.

Moore underwent targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) surgery performed by Dr Albert Chi, MD, FACS, Oregon Health Science University (OHSU). By taking advantage of existing neurological pathways, Dr Chi rewired the nerves that once controlled Moore’s hand and arm to control the prosthetic device, according to a media release from Manchester, NH-based Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics.

Junius & Matt (2)

Moore was initially fit with a LUKE arm prosthesis but quickly realized he wanted more than what the socket technology could provide. He opted to undergo osseointegration surgery by Dr Munjed Al Muderis, orthopedic surgeon and clinical lecturer at Macquarie University and The Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Sydney, Australia. Osseointegration allows the prosthesis to be anchored directly to the bone, giving patients freedom of movement, eliminating the need for a socket.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to show what is possible with prosthetic advancements,” Moore says, in the release. “My goal is to give other amputees hope that they will also be able to take advantage of these incredible advancements that have allowed me to have a working arm.”

[Source(s): Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics, Business Wire]