Bionic arm

**tankie** · 20 Feb 11,, 14:08

Wonderful

A soldier who lost a limb in a grenade attack has been fitted with a bionic arm.

Corporal Andrew Garthwaite is thought to be one of the first British military amputees to be fitted with the pioneering prosthetic.

The 23-year-old, of the Queen's Royal Lancers, controls the arm's movement using muscles in his chest and back.

He lost the limb in September in a rocket-propelled grenade attack that killed another soldier and has now been fitted with the new arm at the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak Hospitals in Birmingham.

He told the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS): "When I first got hit and was in the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital I was thinking 'oh God this is it, I can't ride my bike again'

"I was thinking of everything I couldn't do. But then the prosthetist came from Headley Court to measure me for a new arm.

"He said: 'We've got this new arm which will work for you and in the future there's an operation called Target Nerve Reinnervation you will be able to receive - it won't be as good as a normal arm but it will be the next best thing.'

"That put a bit of light in my face. Now, since I've got the first stage of it I'm a lot happier. It's great - I mean I'm gutted I lost my arm but I'm just thankful there's something out there."

Cpl Garthwaite uses his pectoral muscles to pick something up and his back muscles to put it down again.

He said he has had to learn to be careful when he exerts pressure with his bionic hand, which can easily smash an egg or be painful for anyone he shakes hands with.

**T_igger_cs_30** · 20 Feb 11,, 14:32

Nice to read a happy story for a change...............be amazing if at the end of all the surgery etc he will be able to ride his bike again.

**tankie** · 20 Feb 11,, 16:49

A shame for the lad , seems he was destined to be a high flyer , a full screw at 23 ,he was going places methinks . I wonder can they keep him in the army , some sort of desk job maybe ?

**T_igger_cs_30** · 20 Feb 11,, 17:27

Originally Posted by tankie

A shame for the lad , seems he was destined to be a high flyer , a full screw at 23 ,he was going places methinks . I wonder can they keep him in the army , some sort of desk job maybe ?

I am sure there are, no I /we know there are lots of jobs that can be done by vets who lose limbs in combat, should they want to stay in and carry on serving then they should be allowed as long as they can carry out specific duties, release up all those "combat" clerks who spend a career behind a desk , give them them the oppotunity to do some real soldiering

you know the type Eric, those that love to tell "warries" now 20 years after retirement....as ifthey were actually there.

**dave lukins** · 20 Feb 11,, 23:24

Originally Posted by T_igger_cs_30

Nice to read a happy story for a change...............be amazing if at the end of all the surgery etc he will be able to ride his bike again.

There was a young lad near me who rode a bike one handed. I often thought what if he fell off, or had an accident or had to make an emergency stop. It's bad enough with two hands. He could handle the bike well and it took some riding to keep up with him.

**tankie** · 21 Feb 11,, 08:47

Originally Posted by dave lukins

There was a young lad near me who rode a bike one handed. I often thought what if he fell off, or had an accident or had to make an emergency stop. It's bad enough with two hands. He could handle the bike well and it took some riding to keep up with him.

I bet your legs were knackered with all that peddling huh

**~~Porsche917LH~~** · 08 Mar 11,, 16:37

I was watching a triple amputee finishing Ironman in Kona (2.4 miles swim, 112 miles through brutally hot lava fields and then a marathon to top it off) (doing another race though, not old enough for IM) and it is absolutely amazing what these guys can do when they have proper (pain free) prosthetics fitted.

On that note: There is an amputee out there that is real competitive in RAAM. I guess these guys have had to overcome so much that they come out stronger mentally in some cases and kick ass in mostly mental races. (2922 miles in 9-10 days with no mandated rest. How much you sleep determines your standing)

Anyway just my perspective.