The Food and Drug Administration approved a surgically implanted electronic hand Monday to help quadriplegics regain the ability to hold objects, the first such device approved anywhere in the world.
The Freehand System by NeuroControl Corp. enables some partly paralyzed patients to open and close their hand enough to write a letter, feed themselves, even to paint.
The implant will help quadriplegics whose spinal cord injury is low enough that they retain some arm movement. Thus, when the implanted hand helps them, say, grasp a spoon, they then can lift it to eat.
“Being able to grasp is very important for activities of daily life,” said FDA medical device chief Dr. Bruce Burlington. For all 61 quadriplegics who tested the implant, “It’s really clear that everybody got somewhat better and other patients got substantially better.”
