LITTLE ROCK — The first Arkansan and only second person in the world has received an innovative prosthetic hand, developed by researchers at the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I³R), that restores a meaningful sense of touch and grip force following surgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
The lengthy and detailed operation was led by neurosurgeon Erika Petersen, M.D., with co-leading roles for orthopaedic hand and nerve specialists John Bracey, M.D., and Mark Tait, M.D.
“The surgery went really well,” said Petersen, also a pioneer in the implantation of nerve stimulators for pain and movement disorders. “It’s a great achievement for UAMS, the University of Arkansas and our state. It’s also an exciting promise of what’s to come for people with amputations around the globe.”
