Paralympians benefit from cutting-edge prosthetics. Many Canadians can't afford them
CBC
For decades, paralympians have been landing on the podium with help from advances in prosthetics, including lighter, more flexible materials. But while similar technology is often available to many people living with disabilities, high costs can put it out of reach.
Prosthetic limbs have evolved over the years. Carbon fibre has made some devices lighter and more energy efficient, and digital design allows fittings to be tailored to a person's body, improving stability and control.
Some prosthetics also include electronic components — often in joints or hands — that use sensors to react in real time. If someone trips, for example, some prosthetic knees can detect it and lock to help prevent a fall.
"The knee and foot that Terry Fox was using, what we have now is just night and day different," said Shane Glasford, a certified prosthetist and team lead of prosthetics at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.
Glasford, who fits prosthetics for people who have lost limbs — mostly through injury or disease — said hands are another area of advancement. Older prosthetics could move only a few fingers and manage simple grasps. Newer versions can form multiple positions with all fingers moving.
"We can do a grasp where the hand will conform to just a point, so if they need to get to an ATM machine, point [their finger] and hit their buttons as they enter the code," said Glasford.
Paralympic snowboarder Tyler Turner, a gold medallist heading to this year's Milano Cortina games, said he noticed the technology "changing so fast," especially in prosthetic feet.
Turner, a double leg amputee, uses feet designed to absorb shock and pressure — essential in a high-impact sport like snowboarding.
"It feels so natural," he said. "When I'm snowboarding, you can't tell I'm snowboarding in prosthetics, because the feet are that advanced."
Improvements to the way prosthetics are designed and manufactured are also changing the game.
These include digital scans of a person's amputation site, rather than a physical mould, and using software to design a prosthetic specific to a person's body.
Researchers have also been experimenting with artificial intelligence to develop and produce more responsive limbs. But, for the Paralympics, the International Paralympic Committee prohibits equipment that is "automated, computer aided, or robotic devices."
Another emerging technology for prosthetics is 3D printing.
While 3D-printed prosthetics have already made their debut at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, they aren't common among athletes.
