Flesh embraces steel in new age of prosthetics aesthetics

Tech progress

About 17.36 million people in China live with limb disabilities, including over 1.7 million who are lower-limb amputees in 2023, according to National Bureau of Statistics data.

In addition, over 45 million people in China have lower-limb functional impairments, with conditions including osteoarthritis, stroke, or partial paralysis.

With chronic illnesses such as diabetes on the rise — as well as a growing number of traffic accidents — those numbers are expected to climb, according to a recent report on China's prosthetics industry by consultancy Huaon.

The evolution of prosthetics has mirrored the broader story of modern science — from the rubber limbs and metal hydraulic joints of the last century, to today's smart prostheses controlled by muscle signals. Leaps in technology have brought prosthetics closer to being both functional and widely accessible, Zhang said.

China has made giant strides in fields like artificial intelligence, robotics, and brain-computer interfaces in recent years. At the Cybathlon 2024, known as the "Olympics of assistive technologies", in Zurich, Switzerland, a Chinese team led by Professor Song Aiguo from Southeast University using a domestically developed smart prosthetic, won gold in the "Upper Limb Prosthesis" category, setting a new benchmark.

Companies like BrainCo have made breakthroughs in non-invasive brain-computer interfaces, allowing users remarkably fine control to writing and use keyboards with upper-limb prosthetics. They have also achieved near-natural walking patterns for lower-limb users.

Han Bicheng, BrainCo's founder, said the brain's neural signals are extraordinarily faint — roughly one-millionth the voltage of a single AA battery.

"It's like trying to record the flutter of a mosquito's wings from 50 kilometers away," Han told the Shanghai Observer.

Social inclusion

Zheng Youjun, chairman of Zhejiang Xingyuan Prosthetics & Orthotics Co, said his company distributes both imported and domestic products.

On the international side are brands like Ottobock and Ossur, and among Chinese makers are BrainCo and OYMotion. Sales volumes between the two camps are now roughly equal.

Zheng said that China-produced bionic hands are among the best in the world. They typically range from 90,000 to 140,000 yuan ($12,540 to $19,500) — significantly less than imported models, which can run up to 500,000 yuan.

Government support exists, but varies across regions, said Lu Xian of the Zhejiang Provincial Disabled Persons' Federation. He highlighted a recent program that involved 300 of BrainCo's latest smart prosthetics being fitted free of charge across the province.

"We hope more high-tech innovators will bring their breakthroughs into this space," Lu said. "We need more good products to genuinely improve the quality of life for people with limb loss."

In May, Guangzhou Advance-Tech Co partnered with Hong Kong-based nonprofit organization Stand Tall to launch a smart prosthetic limb replacement program for Wenchuan earthquake survivors. Over 500 survivors of the earthquake have received domestically produced smart prosthetic limbs free of charge.

Zhang, who has researched Type 1 diabetes through fieldwork in remote rural areas in China, emphasized the critical role of grassroots organizations, nonprofits, and tech companies' participation.

"Like capillary networks, local units and civil society groups can reach communities overlooked by the public and commercial healthcare sectors.

"Support for these groups, including financial aid, health education, and disease management, requires a collective societal effort," Zhang said.