Bionicat of the Day: Oscar, who was badly injured in an accident which nearly claimed his life, is walking again thanks to a team of British experts who preformed a pioneering operation to attach groundbreaking prosthetic paws to his hind legs.
From Metro:
The ‘peg’ implants were coated with hydroxyapatite, which encourages bone cells to grow on to the metal in surgery described as science copying the natural world.
The implants protrude through the bone and skin, allowing the custom-built artificial paws to be securely attached. […]
Two-year-old Oscar was trying to stand within a day of the operation. Despite some problems with infection, in less than four months he could stand and bear weight equally on all four limbs. ‘Oscar can now run and jump about as cats should do,’ added [neuro-orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Noel] Fitzpatrick.
A video of the operation, as well as Oscar’s first steps can viewed here.
[metro.]