The History of Prosthetics

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19th century prosthetic leg
The first prosthetic leg dates back to 300 B.C., and it consisted of a lead and iron shell with wood filling. Becoming more common around the 15th century, prosthetic legs took the form of "peg legs" and were reserved exclusively for the wealthiest citizens and soldiers. Later, prosthetics that involved a knee joint were explored as early as the 16th century, and in 1696, Peter Verduyn created the first non-locking prosthetic leg, which would become the basis for todays most advanced prosthetics. As time progressed, the materials used to construct these prosthetics were improved, as more light weight metals were used and other materials such as plastic and composites were introduced to enable the prosthetic to be customized to each individual.