A 45-year-old man received a bionic arm last week in what specialists say marks the latest advance in prosthetic limb technology available in Cyprus.
Dr Stelios Chatzichristofis performed the surgery at the American Medical Centre on the patient, who lost his left arm above the elbow in a September 2024 motorcycle accident.
The crash left him with multiple leg injuries and severe trauma. He underwent successive surgeries, spent time in intensive care, and needed six months of intensive physiotherapy before he could stand again.
Savvas Savva, from the Centre for Orthopaedic Applications, said Cyprus now has two other people living with bionic legs. The first person to receive a bionic leg in Cyprus was also the first in the Greek-speaking world and the Balkans, according to Savva.
His centre serves six to eight people monthly for prosthetic limbs. In November alone, six people approached them for prosthetics.
Diabetes drives 70 per cent of amputation cases, Savva said. Cancer accounts for 15 per cent, and accidents for the remaining 15 per cent. Young people with diabetes are reaching the point of amputation, he added.
The 45-year-old underwent three months of training before the 28 November surgery, learning to control his muscles in preparation for operating the bionic arm.
“After the surgery, which we have every reason to believe will go well, there needs to be a waiting period,” Chatzichristofis said. The team will then gradually load the arm with weight until the bionic limb is permanently fitted and the patient completes training in using it.
The bionic arm comprises a myoelectric elbow, myoelectric wrist and multi-articulated hand, allowing the patient to regain significant function after losing his arm above the elbow.
The procedure follows a philosophy similar to dental implants, Savva explained. Surgeons first implant a metal rod into the bone through a process called osseointegration. After the rod stabilises and integrates, they proceed with the fitting.
New techniques and materials have cut the process from 18 months to five or six months, Savva said.
The team will add 150 to 200 grammes of weight weekly until reaching the normal weight of an arm, whilst the patient continues physiotherapy.
Losing an arm proves more difficult than losing a leg, Savva said. “Tie your hand so you can’t use it and try to do daily tasks. You can’t,” he said.
Chatzichristofis said ongoing monitoring after the final fitting is essential to prevent potential infections.
Savva said attitudes are changing. More people with prosthetic limbs no longer use decorative covers or wear long sleeves and trousers to hide their prosthetics. Society is treating these people differently, he said, though more effort is needed.
Decorative elements on prosthetic limbs reduce their functionality, Savva said. “What we need to keep in mind most is the person’s functionality, their independence, and their ability to walk, move and live,” he said.