40. Prosthetic Limbs

More and more Americans rely on prostheses. They’re custom-fitted, highly personal, and extremely expensive. Zachary Crockett investigates. SOURCES:Jordan Beckwith, YouTuber and advocate.Eric Neufeld, owner and medical director of Agile Orthopedics. RESOURCES:"Medicare Coverage of Durable Medical Equipment & Other Devices," by Medicare (2024)."Limb Loss in the U.S.," infographic by the Amputee Coalition (2022)."A Robot Hand Helps Amputees 'Feel' Again," by Jeffery Delviscio (Scientific American, 2019)."Differences in Myoelectric and Body-Powered Upper-Limb Prostheses: Systematic Literature Review," by Stephanie L. Carey, Derek J. Lura, and Jason Highsmith (Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development, 2015)."Local Coverage Determination: Lower Limb Prostheses," from the Medicare Coverage Database (effective 2015)."Variation in the Care of Surgical Conditions: Diabetes and Peripheral Arterial Disease," by Philip P. Goodney, Nino Dzebisashvili, David C. Goodman, and Kristen K. Bronner (Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care Series, 2014)."Estimating the Prevalence of Limb Loss in the United States: 2005 to 2050," by Kathryn Ziegler-Graham, Ellen J. MacKenzie, Patti L. Ephraim, Thomas G. Travison, and Ron Brookmeyer (Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2008). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.