Led by Professor Max Ortiz-Catalan, head of neural prosthetics research at Australia's Bionics Institute in Australia, a massive team of engineers and surgeons across the globe have developed a new kind of prosthetic-body integration, which has provided Swedish amputee patient Karin with a limb almost as functional as the hand she lost in a farming accident. What's more, it's held up to constant daily use for more than three years.

"Karin was the first person with below-elbow amputation who received this new concept of a highly integrated bionic hand that can be used independently and reliably in daily life," said Ortiz-Catalan. "The fact that she has been able to use her prosthesis comfortably and effectively in daily activities for years is a promising testament to the potential life-changing capabilities of this novel technology for individuals facing limb loss."

Attachment and user control of prosthetic limbs remain two huge hurdles in this field of medicine. In an effort to combat these common issues, researchers developed a human-machine interface that would comfortably attach the artificial structure to the patient's skeleton through the process of osseointegration. Then, electrodes implanted in nerves and muscles could also be attached to tap into the body's nervous system.

Osseointegration is the direct structural and functional link between the patient's living bone and the artificial implant – in this case, the bionic limb structure made of titanium. It was a complex procedure, requiring both the radius and ulna to be aligned and loaded with equal weight, limiting the space around it for other necessary components.

"The biological integration of titanium implants into bone tissue creates opportunities to further advance amputee care," said Rickard Brånemark, associate professor at Gothenburg University and founder of biotech implants company Integrum. "By combining osseointegration with reconstructive surgery, implanted electrodes, and AI, we can restore human function in an unprecedented way. The below-elbow amputation level has particular challenges, and the level of functionality achieved marks an important milestone for the field of advanced extremity reconstructions as a whole."