Monday, August 29, 2005

Even Elephants!

Those who know me personally know that I have an abiding interest in prostheses for the leg. So, excuse me if I tell you that an elephant has been using a temporary prosthesis for almost two months now.

The elephant, Motala, lost a foot and the bottom part of a leg when it stepped on a land mine in 1999. The operations done at that time left one leg shorter than the rest and walking was somewhat difficult. I guess those who take care of Motala were impressed with the progress made in prostheses for human legs and decided to try to help the elephant.

Motala is 44. At that age it's not easy to adapt to a prosthesis for humans. So, in some ways this is another medical miracle. Read about it here.

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