For hundreds of years, doctors have used what is called the "stump and socket" method to handle amputation. Most doctors agree that this is not the ideal way of doing things, since it goes against the body's natural weight bearing capacity. However, doctors at the Salt Lake Veterans Affairs Hospital are expected to conduct a new type of surgery for amputees in early December 2015.
According to Deseret News, the new method will involve implanting a percutaneous osseointegrated prosthesis in place of amputated limbs on veterans from operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
"What we're planning, and we hope this works, is to design a prosthetic leg that will clip on much like a ski boot would clip into a binding," Dr. Laurence Meyer, director of research for the Salt Lake City Veteran's Administration, told KUTV-2 News.
Many factors make the traditional prosthetics difficult to use and uncomfortable to wear, but doctors hope that the new prosthetics will eliminate some of these issues. The veterans undergoing the procedure have had a titanium stud placed in their femurs, as reported by Deseret News. The stud will soon be attached to a "docking mechanism for the prosthesis."
The news source wrote that the new prosthetics are expected to reduce wear on the sockets and make a longer lasting limb replacement.