Missing Madeleine
Come join us...there's more inside you cannot see as a guest!

Join the forum, it's quick and easy

Missing Madeleine
Come join us...there's more inside you cannot see as a guest!
Missing Madeleine
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat

3 posters

Go down

Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Empty Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat

Post  Guest Fri 25 Jun - 16:33

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10404251.stm
The original article has a really sweet video of Oscar running around on his prosthetic legs!

A cat that had its back feet severed by a combine harvester has been given two prosthetic limbs in a pioneering operation by a UK vet.

The new feet are custom-made implants that "peg" the ankle to the foot. They are bioengineered to mimic the way deer antler bone grows through the skin.

The operation - a world first - was carried out by Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Surrey.

His work is explored in a BBC documentary called The Bionic Vet.

The cat, named Oscar, was referred to Mr Fitzpatrick by his local vet in Jersey, following the accident last October. Oscar was struck by the combine harvester whilst dozing in the sun.

The prosthetic pegs, called intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics (Itaps) were developed by a team from University College London led by Professor Gordon Blunn, who is head of UCL's Centre for Biomedical Engineering.

Professor Blunn and his team have worked in partnership with Mr Fitzpatrick to develop these weight-bearing implants, combining engineering mechanics with biology.

Mr Fitzpatrick explained: "The real revolution with Oscar is [that] we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone."

"We have managed to get the bone and skin to grow into the implant and we have developed an 'exoprosthesis' that allows this implant to work as a see-saw on the bottom of an animal's limbs to give him effectively normal gait."

Professor Blunn told BBC News the idea was initially developed for patients with amputations who have a "stump socket".

"This means they fix their artifical limb with a sock, which fits over the stump. In a lot of cases this is sucessful, but you [often] get rubbing and pressure sores."

The Itap technology is being tested in humans and has already been used to create a prosthetic for a woman who lost her arm in the July 2005 London bombings.

"The intriguing thing with Oscar was that he had two implants - one in each back leg, and in quite an unusual site," Professor Blunn told BBC News.

He said that the success of this operation showed the potential of the technology.

"Noel has some brilliant ideas," he added. "And we're continuing to work closely with him to develop new technologies."

The Bionic Vet is on BBC 1 at 2245 BST on Wednesday
Anonymous
Guest
Guest


Back to top Go down

Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Empty Re: Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat

Post  AnnaEsse Fri 25 Jun - 17:03

That's fabulous! And seeing how delighted the vets were brought tears to my eyes. Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat 307691
AnnaEsse
AnnaEsse
Administrator
Administrator

Female
Number of posts : 18693
Age : 112
Location : Casa Nostra
Warning :
Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Left_bar_bleue0 / 1000 / 100Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Right_bar_bleue

Registration date : 2009-09-23

http://frommybigdesk.blogspot.com/

Back to top Go down

Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Empty Re: Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat

Post  Fudge Fri 25 Jun - 21:43

What a fabulous outcome and well done to those vets Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat 307691
Fudge
Fudge
Forum Addict
Forum Addict

Number of posts : 500
Warning :
Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Left_bar_bleue0 / 1000 / 100Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Right_bar_bleue

Registration date : 2009-08-24

Back to top Go down

Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Empty Re: Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat

Post  Guest Fri 25 Jun - 21:55

Absolutely brilliant!!!!


Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat 463742 to the vets, engineers and Oscar Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Icon_flower
Anonymous
Guest
Guest


Back to top Go down

Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Empty Re: Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat

Post  malena stool Fri 25 Jun - 22:05

Well done Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat 307691
malena stool
malena stool
Platinum Poster
Platinum Poster

Male
Number of posts : 13924
Location : Spare room above the kitchen
Warning :
Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Left_bar_bleue0 / 1000 / 100Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Right_bar_bleue

Registration date : 2009-10-04

Back to top Go down

Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat Empty Re: Heartwarming Story of Oscar, The Bionic Cat

Post  Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum