IntroductionProsthetics is the branch of surgery that deals with mechanical devices used to reproduce the shape and function of missing body parts. Prosthesis is the replacement of defective or amputated body parts with artificial body parts. Artificial limbs have been in use since at least 300 BC. In 1509 AD the German knight Götz von Berlichingen, called Götz of the Iron Hand, wore an artificial hand with jointed fingers. In the early 19th century, a German prosthetist constructed a hand with fingers that could be flexed or extended and that could hold lightweight objects, such as a pen or hat. Before World War I (1914-1918), wood was considered the best substance for making artificial legs, but later an aluminum alloy called Duralumin, and more recently, fiber materials, have made artificial limbs lightweight and durable. In recent years, the production of prosthetic devices has become a science. Artificial limbs with functioning joints can simulate natural movement. Hip joint prostheses can provide virtually normal mobility for people with damaged hip joints. HistoryArtificial limbs, in one form or another, have been used since ancient times. In 1885, a specimen was discovered in a tomb in Capua, Italy, along with other relics dating back to 300 BC. The famous artificial hand built in 1509 for the German knight Götz von Berlichingen, known as Götz of the Iron Hand, weighed approximately 1. 4 kg (3 lb) and had jointed fingers built so it could grasp a sword or spear. The hand is in the Nuremberg Museum and is still functional. In the early 19th century a German prosthetist constructed a hand with fingers that could be flexed or extended without assistance and yet could still close to hold lightweight objects, such as a pen, handkerchief, or hat. In 1851, a French prosthetist invented an artificial arm equipped with a wooden hand and attached to a leather holder that fit securely over the stump. The fingers were semi-closed, the thumb was hinged on a pin and could press firmly against the fingertips by means of a strong, hidden elastic; the thumb grip could be operated by a mechanism attached to the opposite shoulder. The inventor himself designed a leg that reproduced the natural gait and lengthened the stride. Technology Before the First World War, wood was universally considered the best material for making artificial legs. Prosthetic devices made of leather reinforced with metal bands tended to deform and were therefore unsatisfactory.