News Archive
Computer game technology used to ease pain
PATIENTS who have lost limbs are taking part in a pioneering trial which uses computer game technology to ease their pain.
A sensor like that used on a Nintendo Wii is attached to the stump and special software recreates the missing limb and its movements on screen.
Neuro-rehabilitationist Dr David Henderson Slater has been running trials with patient volunteers at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC) in Oxford to test the virtual reality system which is due to feature in a TV documentary later this year.
He said: 'It senses where you are - a bit like a Wii. It takes a lot of effort to exist with that level of pain. It would be great if this technology enabled more people to ease their pain without taking lots of pills.'
Doctors hope that using it regularly could bring long-term pain relief - potentially benefiting thousands of people nationwide - by making the patient feel like they are moving the whole leg and foot and 'persuading' the brain that the limb is really there. The trial involves patients using a virtual pedal to beat a drum pictured on a computer monitor (or pick up an apple where an arm has been lost).nths. And the next day I was walking around for two-and-a-half hours whereas before I could only stand up for a few minutes.'
PATIENTS who have lost limbs are taking part in a pioneering trial which uses computer game technology to ease their pain.
A sensor like that used on a Nintendo Wii is attached to the stump and special software recreates the missing limb and its movements on screen.
Neuro-rehabilitationist Dr David Henderson Slater has been running trials with patient volunteers at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre (NOC) in Oxford to test the virtual reality system which is due to feature in a TV documentary later this year.
He said: 'It senses where you are - a bit like a Wii. It takes a lot of effort to exist with that level of pain. It would be great if this technology enabled more people to ease their pain without taking lots of pills.'
Doctors hope that using it regularly could bring long-term pain relief - potentially benefiting thousands of people nationwide - by making the patient feel like they are moving the whole leg and foot and 'persuading' the brain that the limb is really there. The trial involves patients using a virtual pedal to beat a drum pictured on a computer monitor (or pick up an apple where an arm has been lost).nths. And the next day I was walking around for two-and-a-half hours whereas before I could only stand up for a few minutes.'
New design set to revolutionise ankle replacement surgery
By Dominic Musgrave
A NEW prosthesis which is set to revolutionise ankle replacement surgery has been designed
by orthopaedic surgeons in America.
Surgeon Brian Donley has become the first to implant a new total ankle replacement and it is being investigated as a potential alternative to traditional ankle fusion.
The replacement was created to better emulate normal ankle movement while preserving more of a patient's original bone.
This allows patients to have more natural motion and suffer less pain compared to other treatment options.
By Dominic Musgrave
A NEW prosthesis which is set to revolutionise ankle replacement surgery has been designed
by orthopaedic surgeons in America.
Surgeon Brian Donley has become the first to implant a new total ankle replacement and it is being investigated as a potential alternative to traditional ankle fusion.
The replacement was created to better emulate normal ankle movement while preserving more of a patient's original bone.
This allows patients to have more natural motion and suffer less pain compared to other treatment options.
