15-Year-Old Amputee is Overjoyed to Receive First Bionic Arm

15-Year-Old Amputee Receives First Bionic Arm and Can’t Hide Her Joy

By Margherita Cole on November 20, 2023

We’re pretty sure Grace never stopped smiling through her Hero Arm delivery! She and her dad Ken traveled from the east coast to our Denver clinic, and Grace returned home with her Hero Arm after mastering control of it almost instantly! #heroarm #openbionics pic.twitter.com/TKcIEX2iWY

— Open Bionics (@openbionics) November 13, 2023

A young amputee patient experienced the excitement of a lifetime after receiving her first bionic arm. A recent video posted by Open Bionics, the makers of the 3D-printed Hero Arm, showed 15-year-old Grace's elated reaction to the technology. She was even able to pick items up with the robotic hand.

With clinics across the U.S., UK, and Europe, Open Bionics “develops medical devices that enhance the human body.” The Hero Arm is designed for amputees with a below-elbow limb difference. It possesses two EMG sensors inside the forearm portion of the prosthesis which lay against the skin of the wearer and detect muscle movement. So, when the user flexes or moves a certain muscle group, the hand of the Hero Arm opens, while a different muscle group will make the hand close. “The easiest comparison: ball your hand into a fist and move your wrist inward,” explains Open Bionics. “Those muscles in your forearm close the bionic hand. Move it outward, and those muscles open the bionic hand!”

In Open Bionics’ video, a professional helps affix the Hero Arm to Grace's forearm. The teenager seems to get the hang of the prosthesis very quickly, and is seen opening and closing the hand, gripping a fork and knife, and lifting up a suitcase. “We’re pretty sure Grace never stopped smiling through her Hero Arm delivery!” Open Bionics writes. “She and her dad Ken traveled from the east coast to our Denver clinic, and Grace returned home with her Hero Arm after mastering control of it almost instantly!”

In addition to helping Grace perform a variety of tasks with the multi-grip functions, the Hero Arm features a 180° wrist rotation, and can lock in a desired position so there's no worry of misusing muscle control. The bionic arm can even change appearance with 50 different magnetic covers. We're sure Grace will continue to have fun with her new prosthesis.

15-year-old Grace received her first bionic arm and mastered its abilities very quickly.

Grace was non-stop smiling as she picked up her new Hero Arm! We’re so happy for her #bionic #heroarm pic.twitter.com/tYUsrHZEKI

— Open Bionics (@openbionics) November 15, 2023