Splenectomy

A splenectomy is surgery to remove the entire spleen, a delicate, fist-sized organ that sits under the left rib cage near the stomach. The spleen is an important part of the body's defense (immune) system. It contains special white blood cells that destroy bacteria and help your body fight infections when you are sick. It also makes red blood cells and helps remove, or filter, old ones from the body's circulation.

If only part of the spleen is removed, the procedure is called a partial splenectomy.

Unlike some other organs, like the liver, the spleen does not grow back (regenerate) after it is removed.

Who Needs a Splenectomy?

You may need to have your spleen removed if you have an injury that damages the organ, causing its covering to break open, or rupture. A ruptured spleen can lead to life-threatening internal bleeding. Common injury-related causes of a ruptured spleen include motor vehicle accidents and severe blows to the abdomen during contact sports, such as football or hockey.

A splenectomy may also be recommended if you have cancer involving the spleen or certain diseases that affect blood cells. Certain conditions can cause the spleen to swell, making the organ more fragile and susceptible to rupture. In some cases, an illness, such as severe lupus and sickle cell disease, can cause the spleen to shrivel up and stop functioning. This is called an auto-splenectomy.

The most common disease-related reason for a spleen removal is a blood disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). ITP is an autoimmune condition in which antibodies target blood platelets. Platelets are needed to help blood to clot, so a person with ITP is at risk for bleeding. The spleen is involved in making these antibodies and removing the platelets from the blood. Removing the spleen can be done to help treat the condition.

Other common reasons a person may need a spleen removal include:

Blood disorders:

• Hereditary elliptocytosis (ovalocytosis)
• Hereditary nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia
• Hereditary spherocytosis
• Thalassemia (Mediterranean anemia)

Blood vessel problems:

• Aneurysm in the spleen's artery
• Blood clot in the spleen's blood vessels

Cancer:

• Leukemia, a blood cancer that affects cells that help the body fight infections.
• Certain types of lymphoma, a cancer that affects cells that help the body fight infections.

How Is a Splenectomy Performed?

You will be given general anesthesia a few minutes before surgery so you are asleep and do not feel pain while the surgeon is working on you.

There are two ways to perform a splenectomy: laparoscopic surgery and open surgery.

Laparoscopic splenectomy is done using an instrument called a laparoscope. This is a slender tool with a light and camera on the end. The surgeon makes three or four small cuts in your abdomen, and inserts the laparoscope through one of them. This allows the doctor to look into the abdominal area and locate your spleen. Different medical instruments are passed through the other openings. One of them is used to deliver carbon dioxide gas into your abdominal area, which pushes nearby organs out of the way and gives your surgeon more room to work. The surgeon disconnects the spleen from surrounding structures and the body's blood supply, and then removes it through the largest surgical opening. The surgical openings are closed using stitches or sutures.

Sometimes during laparoscopic splenectomy the doctor has to switch to the open procedure. This may happen if you have bleeding problems during the operation.

Open splenectomy requires a larger surgical cut than the laparoscopic method. The surgeon makes a cut (incision) across the middle or left side of your abdomen underneath the rib cage. After locating the spleen, the surgeon disconnects it from the pancreas and the body's blood supply, and then removes it. The surgical openings are closed using stitches or sutures.

During spleen removal, the surgeon will also check for extra spleens. About 15% of patients have more than one spleen, especially those who have ITP. The extra spleen may need to be removed in such patients.

Recovering After a Splenectomy

After surgery, you will stay in the hospital for a while so doctors can monitor your condition. You will receive fluids through a vein, called an intravenous (IV) line, and pain medications to ease any discomfort.

How long you stay in the hospital depends on which type of splenectomy you have. If you have an open splenectomy, you may be sent home within one week. Those who have a laparoscopic splenectomy are usually sent home sooner.

It will take about four to six weeks to recover from the procedure. Your surgeon may tell you not to take a bath for a while after surgery so the wounds can heal. Showers may be OK. Your health care team will tell you if you need to temporarily avoid any other activities, such as driving.

Complications

You can live without a spleen. But because the spleen plays a crucial role in the body's ability to fight off bacteria, living without the organ makes you more likely to develop infections, especially dangerous ones such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae. These bacteria cause severe pneumonia, meningitis, and other serious infections. Vaccinations to cover these bacteria should be given in patients without a spleen.

Infections after spleen removal usually develop quickly and make the person severely ill. They are referred to as overwhelming post-splenectomy infections, or OPSI. Such infections cause death in almost 50% of cases. Children under age 5 and people who have had their spleen removed in the last two years have the greatest chance for developing these life-threatening infections.

Other complications related to splenectomy include:

• Blood clot in the vein that carries blood to the liver
• Hernia at the incision site
• Infection at the incision site
• Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis)
• Lung collapse
• Injury to the pancreas, stomach, and colon

Call the doctor right away if you have any of the following after a splenectomy:

• Bleeding
• Chills
• Cough or shortness of breath
• Difficulty eating or drinking
• Increased swelling of the abdomen
• Pain that doesn't go away with prescribed medications
• Increasing redness, pain, or discharge (pus) at the incision site
• Nausea or vomiting that persists
• Fever over 101 degrees

Preventing Infections After Splenectomy

Children who have their spleen removed often need to take antibiotics every day to prevent them from developing bacterial infections. Adults usually do not need daily antibiotics, unless they become sick or there is a chance they could become sick. People who do not have a spleen who plan on traveling out of the country or to a place where medical help is not available should carry antibiotics to take as soon as they become sick.

Anyone who has had a splenectomy should get a flu vaccine every year. Your doctor may recommend other immunization, such as a pneumonia vaccine.

POSTED BY ATTORNEY RENE G. GARCIA:

For more information:- Some of our clients have suffered these kinds of injuries due to a serious accident. The Garcia Law Firm, P.C. was able to successfully handle these types of cases. For a free consultation please call us at 1-866- SCAFFOLD or 212-725-1313.

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/splenectomy

Shoulder Pain and Problems

What is the shoulder?

The shoulder is made up of several layers, including the following:

Bones - the collarbone (clavicle), the shoulder blade (scapula), and the upper arm bone (humerus).

• Joints - facilitate movement, including the following:
• Sternoclavicular joint (where the clavicle meets the sternum)
• Acromioclavicular (AC) joint (where the clavicle meets the acromion)
• Shoulder joint (glenohumeral joint) - a ball-and-socket joint that facilitates forward, circular, and backward movement of the shoulder.
• Ligaments - a white, shiny, flexible band of fibrous tissue that binds joints together and connects various bones and cartilage, including the following:
• Joint capsule - a group of ligaments that connect the humerus to the socket of the shoulder joint on the scapula to stabilize the shoulder and keep it from dislocating.
• Ligaments that attach the clavicle to the acromion
• Ligaments that connect the clavicle to the scapula by attaching to the coracoid process
• Acromion - the roof (highest point) of the shoulder that is formed by a part of the scapula.
• Tendons - the tough cords of tissue that connects muscles to bones. The rotator cuff Tendons are a group of tendons that connect the deepest layer of muscles to the humerus.
• Muscles (to help support and rotate the shoulder in many directions)
• Bursa - a closed space between two moving surfaces that has a small amount of lubricating fluid inside; located between the rotator cuff muscle layer and the outer layer of large, bulky muscles.
• Rotator cuff - composed of tendons, the rotator cuff (and associated muscles) holds the ball of the glenohumeral joint at the top of the upper arm bone (humerus).

Shoulder pain may be localized in a specific area or may spread to areas around the shoulder or down the arm.

What are some of the different types of shoulder problems?

Common shoulder problems include the following:

• Dislocation
  The shoulder joint is the most frequently dislocated major joint of the body - often caused by a significant force that separates the shoulder joint's ball (the top rounded portion of the upper arm bone, or humerus) away from the joint's socket (glenoid).

· Separation.
The shoulder becomes separated when the ligaments attached to the collarbone (clavicle) are torn, or partially torn, away from the shoulder blade (scapula). Shoulder separation may be caused by a sudden, forceful blow to the shoulder, or as a result of a fall.

• Bursitis
  Bursitis often occurs when tendonitis and impingement syndrome cause inflammation of the bursa sacs that protect the shoulder.
• Impingement syndrome
  Impingement syndrome is caused by the excessive squeezing or rubbing of the rotator cuff and shoulder blade. The pain associated with the syndrome is a result of an inflamed bursa (lubricating sac) over the rotator cuff, and/or inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons, and/or calcium deposits in tendons due to wear and tear. Shoulder impingement syndrome can lead to a torn rotator cuff.
• Tendonitis
  Tendonitis of the shoulder is caused when the rotator cuff and/or biceps tendon become inflamed, usually as a result of being pinched by surrounding structures. The injury may vary from mild inflammation to involvement of most of the rotator cuff. When the rotator cuff tendon becomes inflamed and thickened, it may become trapped under the acromion.
• Rotator cuff tear
  A rotator cuff tear involves one or more rotator cuff tendons becoming inflamed from overuse, aging, a fall on an outstretched hand, or a collision.
• Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
  Frozen shoulder is a severely restrictive condition frequently caused by injury that, in turn, leads to lack of use due to pain. Intermittent periods of use may cause inflammation and adhesions to grow between the joint surfaces, thus restricting motion. There is also a lack of synovial fluid to lubricate the gap between the arm bone and socket that normally helps the shoulder joint to move. This restricted space between the capsule and ball of the humerus distinguishes adhesive capsulitis from the less complicated condition known as stiff shoulder.
• Fracture
  A fracture is a partial or total crack or break through a bone that usually occurs due to a impact injury.

What causes shoulder problems?

Although the shoulder is the most movable joint in the body, it is also an unstable joint because of its range-of-motion. Because the ball of the upper arm is larger than the socket of the shoulder, it is susceptible to injury. The shoulder joint must also be supported by soft tissues - muscles, tendons, and ligaments - which are also subject to injury, overuse, and under use.

Degenerative conditions and other diseases in the body may also contribute to shoulder problems, or generate pain that travels along nerves to the shoulder.

How are shoulder problems diagnosed?

In addition to a complete medical history and physical examination (to determine range-of-motion, location of pain, and level of joint instability/stability), diagnostic procedures for shoulder problems may include the following:

• X-ray - a diagnostic test which uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to produce images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film.
• Arthrogram - a test in which dye is injected into the shoulder joint and x-rays are taken to outline structures of the shoulder. When the fluid leaks into an area that it does not belong, disease or injury may be considered, as a leak would provide evidence of a tear, opening, or blockage.
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body; can often determine damage or disease in a surrounding ligament or muscle.
• Computed tomography scan (Also called a CT or CAT scan.) - a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses a combination of x-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional images (often called slices), both horizontally and vertically, of the body. A CT scan shows detailed images of any part of the body, including the bones, muscles, fat, and organs. CT scans are more detailed than general x-rays.
• Electromyogram (EMG) - a test to evaluate nerve and muscle function.
• Ultrasound - a diagnostic technique which uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the internal organs.
• Laboratory tests (to determine if other problems may be the cause)
• Arthroscopy - a minimally-invasive diagnostic and treatment procedure used for conditions of a joint. This procedure uses a small, lighted, optic tube (arthroscope) which is inserted into the joint through a small incision in the joint. Images of the inside of the joint are projected onto a screen; used to evaluate any degenerative and/or arthritic changes in the joint; to detect bone diseases and tumors; to determine the cause of bone pain and inflammation.

Treatment of shoulder problems:

Specific treatment of shoulder problems will be determined by your physician based on:

• your age, overall health, and medical history
• extent of the condition
• your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
• expectations for the course of the condition
• your opinion or preference

Treatment may include:

• activity modification
• rest
• physical therapy
• medications
• surgery

POSTED BY ATTORNEY RENE G. GARCIA:

For more information:- Some of our clients have suffered these kinds of injuries due to a serious accident. The Garcia Law Firm, P.C. was able to successfully handle these types of cases. For a free consultation please call us at 1-866- SCAFFOLD or 212-725-1313.

http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/orthopaedics/joint/shoulder_pain_problems/Pages/index.aspx

Court Orders Pain and Suffering Monetary Damages Increase in Scar Case

By John Hochfelder on April 22, 2012 Posted in Scars

On February 7, 2006, Roccio Rojas, a healthy 20 year old, donated her left kidney to her father, in a procedure known as a laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

During the surgery, it was discovered that Roccio’s aorta had been lacerated – it was bleeding out extensively and Roccio was about to die.

Ms. Rojas’s abdominal cavity had to be opened, a subcostal incision was made and a hand placed inside to hold pressure. Then, a vascular surgeon had to be found immediately in order to suture the rupturing aorta.

Luckily, in an adjoining operating room there was a vascular surgeon – Danielle Bajakian, M.D. - who sutured the half centimeter aortic tear in an open emergency procedure that saved the life of Ms. Rojas.

Ms. Rojas had a much more difficult recovery than she and her doctors had planned, following a major open surgery instead of a laparoscopy and with a large abdominal scar and several lifetime medical concerns that she would not have had if her kidney surgery had gone as planned. So, she sued.

In the lawsuit, Ms. Rojas claimed that her urological surgeon had negligently cut her aorta which led to the need for the major open vascular surgery (to repair the aorta) and its consequences. On April 22, 2010, a Manhattan jury agreed and awarded pain and suffering damages in the sum of $350,000 (150,000 past – 4 years, $200,000 future – 56 years).

Both sides appealed:

• defendant argued that there was no basis for liability because the aortic injury is a recognized and acceptable risk of the kidney procedure and that the injury likely occurred spontaneously as a result of a failed staple
• plaintiff argued that the evidence showed the aorta was cut with scissors, an unacceptable mistake and that the monetary damages awarded for the future were inadequate

In Rojas v. Palese (1st Dept. 2012), the liability verdict against the urological surgeon has been affirmed and the future damages award has been increased from $200,000 to $350,000.

As a result of the appellate court decision, plaintiff’s pain and suffering award is now $500,000 ($150,000 past, $350,000 future).

Here are additional details of plaintiff’s injuries that are not in the decision:

• 16 centimeter long, 2 centimeter wide, one-half inch raised hypertrophic scar near the bellybutton that is permanent, painful and embarrassing
• 50% narrowing of the aorta (because the artery wall is incorporated into the stitching) requiring lifetime monitoring for the development of renal vascular hypertension (high blood pressure due to narrowing of the arteries carrying blood to the kidneys) and claudication (pain caused by too little blood flow)
• likelihood of future surgical intervention in the aorta

Hypertrophic scars, often resulting from thermal injuries, are hard, raised, tender and itchy. Here is an example of such a scar under someone’s arm

Typical laparoscopic nephrectomies do not leave hypertrophic scars. Instead, they leave small planned incisions that usually fade, like this:

Inside Information:

• Ms. Rojas received six units of blood, replacing two-thirds of her blood volume, so that she did not die while her aorta was being repaired.
• Dr. Bajakian, the vascular surgeon, was originally named a defendant in the case but the suit against her was discontinued before trial and she was ultimately called as a witness by plaintiff’s attorneys.

POSTED BY ATTORNEY RENE G. GARCIA:

· For more information:- Some of our clients have suffered these kind of injuries due to a serious accident. The Garcia Law Firm, P.C.was able to successfully handle these types of cases. For a free consultation please call us at 1-866- SCAFFOLD or 212-725-1313.

Road Traffic Accidents and Ocular Trauma: Experience at Tripoli Eye Hospital, Libya

M El Shtewi, MD, M N Shishko, MD, and G K Purohit, MD

Author information ► Copyright and License information ►

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC.

Road traffic accidents (RTA) are common occurrences every day. With the ever increasing number of various road transport vehicles, and the increasing number of new drivers, traffic accidents keep on increasing, causing mild to severe human injury, including injuries to the eyes.

Eye injuries, often resulting in some visual loss, create enormous costs both to the victim and to society. There is great need for more active interest in the prevention of eye injuries. It is necessary to accumulate relevant data of damage caused by road traffic accidents (RTA) and, also, to evaluate the present situation in Libya.

The Casualty Service of the Tripoli Eye Hospital, which receives trauma cases, is open day and night. Many cases of eye injuries are sent from the Trauma Centre, Central Hospital, Tripoli.

 

Ocular involvement in road traffic accidents may involve the eyelids, lacrimal canaliculi, orbital wall, conjunctiva, cornea, sclera and the extra-ocular muscles. There may be prolapse of uveal tissue, vitreous loss, traumatic cataract, retinal detachment, vitreous haemorrhage, choroidal rupture, optic nerve avulsion or a ruptured globe.

This two year study, from 1 October 1993 until 30 September 1995, reports the ocular trauma caused by road traffic accidents in patients attending or referred to the Tripoli Eye Hospital.

Nature of the Injury

Most of the accidents were due to collision of one car with another vehicle, often in head-on impact overtaking on one-way routes, or at road traffic crossings. At times the injury was caused by a careless driver injuring a pedestrian.

Glass-splinters from the windscreen caused cut wounds to the face, eyelids, conjunctiva and corneas. Rupture of the globe occurred. In some cases the injuries were limited to the external eye only with superficial abrasion to the cornea. In some instances, for example, pieces of glass and the frame of the spectacles pierced the eye causing a perforating injury. In a few instances the steering wheel and dashboard were struck by the forehead, face and the eye causing severe blunt trauma. Rarely, a fracture of the orbital margin resulted. Intraocular foreign bodies or extraocular foreign bodies impacted in the soft tissues of the eyes or adnexae. It was not possible to distinguish whether the glass fragments were from windscreen glass or spectacle glass.

Recommendations for the Prevention of Ocular and Orbital Injuries in Road Traffic Accidents

1. Passengers sitting in the front seats more commonly sustain ocular trauma.
• The use of safety seat belts must be made compulsory.
• All road vehicles must have laminated glass windscreens.
2. The practice of sitting younger children on the lap of a parent on one of the front seats should not be allowed.
3. There is urgent need for education of the public through the use of news media and television programmes.
• The requirement of wearing seat belts
• Observation of the rules of the road
• Punishment for reckless driving and dangerous overtaking
4. The use of unbreakable plastic spectacles should be encouraged.
5. Road markings, guiding traffic and drivers, need to be re-painted more frequently. Paint should be fluorescent so as to be clearly visible during darkness.

References

 

1. Negrel A-D, Thylefors B. The global impact of eye injuries. Ophthalmic Epidemiology. 1998;5:143–69. [PubMed]

2. Cole MD, Clearkin L, Dabbs T, Smerdon D. The seat belt law and after. Br J Ophthalmol. 1987;71:436–40. [PMC free article] [PubMed]

 POSTED BY ATTORNEY RENE G. GARCIA:

 

For more information:- Some of our clients have suffered this kind of injuries due to a serious accident. The Garcia Law Firm, P.C. was able to successfully handle these types of cases. For a free consultation please call us at 1-866- SCAFFOLD or 212-725-1313.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1705993/

 

 

 

 

Appellate Court Rules that Jurors Erred in Finding No Pre-Death Pain and Suffering in Bus Accident

By John Hochfelder on August 30, 2012 Posted in Wrongful Death

On June 18, 2005, Luisa Sanchez was walking across 163rd Street in the Bronx when the 28 year old woman was struck by a city sanitation truck.

Ms. Sanchez was found by the truck driver lying in the street behind his truck. She was bleeding from her ears, nose and the back of her head and she was uncommunicative. She’d sustained blunt trauma to her head resulting in a subdural hematoma and brain contusions.

Several emergency surgical procedures were performed to try to relieve the intracranial brain pressure but Ms. Sanchez lapsed into a coma from which she never emerged and died from her injuries 10 months later after several bouts of pneumonia and the onset of sepsis (severe infections).

A lawsuit was brought by the decedent’s mother on behalf of Ms. Sanchez’s five year old daughter seeking damages for pre-death pain and suffering, loss of parental guidance and other economic losses.

The city claimed that its driver was not negligent because Sanchez crossed in the middle of the street and there were two posted signs at the site prohibiting pedestrians from crossing.

On February 11, 2010, a jury determined that both parties were negligent (the city driver 30%, Sanchez 70%) and assessed $870,000 in damages (before apportionment) as follows:

• $245,000 past medical expenses (agreed to by both sides)
• $150,000 for future lost earnings (13 years)
• $325,000 for loss of parental guidance (13 years) and
• $150,000 for loss of household services (13 years)

The trial judge issued a lengthy decision upholding the verdict.

Plaintiff successfully appealed the refusal to award any pain and suffering damages arguing that there was evidence (from first responders at the scene) that, for at least 10 minutes, Ms. Sanchez was somewhat conscious and experienced pain.

In Sanchez v. City of New York (1st Dept. 2012), the appeals court held that Ms. Sanchez "showed some signs of consciousness, if not awareness" and experienced "some level of pain and suffering during her interludes of consciousness." This was enough to require an award for pre-death pain and suffering and the judges determined that $400,000 is the minimum acceptable amount under the facts of this case.

The appellate court also addressed additional elements of damages as follows:

• affirmed the $325,000 loss of parental guidance award (on appeal, plaintiff had argued for an increase to $1,500,000)
• increased the lost earnings award to include $77,000 for the period before death
• increased the future loss of household services award from $150,000 to $300,000

Parental guidance damages are meant to compensate a child for the economic loss of a parent’s nurture and care as well as the physical, mental and intellectual training by a parent. Under New York law, damages are not recoverable for a child’s sorrow, mental anguish or loss of parental companionship.

The award for loss of household services, in this case, is intended to compensate Ms. Sanchez’s daughter for the value of her mother’s services (such as laundry, cooking, cleaning and shopping). Plaintiff’s expert economist, Alan Leiken, Ph.D., testified that the value of such services through the daughter’s 21st birthday, would be $345,000.

The total award as modified by the appellate court now stands, before apportionment, at $1,496,000 (an increase of $626,000); however, because of the 70/30 liability split, plaintiff’s actual recovery will be $449,000.

Inside Information:

• Plaintiff’s attorney conceded that the decedent was negligent. In his closing argument, counsel stated that the jurors would be correct in assigning 15% of the fault to plaintiff.
• Defense counsel suggested to the jury that if they found any liability on defendant’s part then $75,000 would be appropriate for pre-death pain and suffering. Plaintiff’s attorney asked for $750,000.
• Plaintiff asked the jury for $2,000,000 for loss of parental guidance while defense counsel suggested $150,000.
• During trial, plaintiff rejected a settlement offer of $500,000.

POSTED BY ATTORNEY RENE G. GARCIA:

· For more information:- Some of our clients have suffered this kind of injuries due to a serious accident. The Garcia Law Firm, P.C. was able to successfully handle these types of cases. For a free consultation please call us at 1-866- SCAFFOLD or 212-725-1313.

Bionic Legs Allow Paraplegics to Get Up and Walk

http://healthland.time.com/2010/10/11/bionic-legs-allow%C2%A0paraplegics-to-get-up-and-walk/

A robotic exoskeleton called eLEGS enables people who have been paralyzed below the waist to walk again. The technology, developed by Berkeley Bionics, is geared toward consumers — the 6 million Americans who are paralyzed, many of whom use wheelchairs.
For so many sufferers of paralysis — many of whom may have been active and athletic before an injury damaged their spinal cord — being able to move their bodies independently will no doubt be an emotional, gratifying experience. Watch for yourself:

"The most exciting possibility for the eLEGS for me is to take it out into the real world," said Amanda Boxtel, who was paralyzed from the waist down during a ski accident in 1993 and now works as a motivational speaker. "I'm not meant to be in my wheelchair, sitting down and rolling. I want to be tall in my body."

eLEGS is the latest in a line of "human augmentation robotics systems" that Berkeley Bionics has created with the Robotics and Human Engineering Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. It was based on another system called HULC, for the Human Universal Load Carrier, a robotics system licensed to Lockheed Martin that was made for the military to help soldiers carry heavy packs across extreme terrain without risking injury.

The eLEGS device consists of a backpack that holds the battery, and metal leg casings that are secured around a person's clothed body with velcro straps. A mixture of sensors and robotics creates a natural-seeming gait that can speed up to an excess of 2 miles per hour. More from Berkeley Bionics:

The device is battery-powered and employs a gesture-based human-machine interface which —utilizing sensors — observes the gestures the user makes to determine their intentions and then acts accordingly. A real-time computer draws on sensors and input devices to orchestrate every aspect of a single stride.

Boxtel points out that the technology may be of help to those who are newly injured, since they may still retain muscle memory and their muscles will not have atrophy significantly yet. Such early assistance in getting patients back on their feet may further aid a host of minor health concerns associated with being in a wheelchair — from digestive issues to poor circulation.

Dr. Graham Creasey, chief of spinal chord injury service at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center, has great hopes for the eLEGS as well: "For the first time in history, we can start to think about giving movement back," he said.

POSTED BY ATTORNEY RENE G. GARCIA:

For more information:- Some of our clients have suffered this kind of injuries due to a serious accident. The Garcia Law Firm, P.C. was able to successfully handle these types of cases. For a free consultation please call us at 1-866- SCAFFOLD or 212-725-1313.