The history of prosthetics surgery starts at the very beginning of human medical thought. Its chronological twists and turns equivalent the development of medical science, culture, as well as civilization itself. Prosthetic history starts with humankind's holy and practical need for completeness. Prostheses were developed for function, cosmetic appearance, and a psycho-spiritual wisdom of completeness but not essentially in that order. These patients’ wants have existed from the dawn of time to the present. Early prosthetic main beliefs that were developed exist to this day and are astonishingly proficient in function. In the three great western civilizations of Egypt, Greece, as well as Rome the first true rehabilitation aids known as prostheses were made. The Dark Ages produced prostheses for battle and hiding malformation. The Renaissance emerged and revitalized scientific development started by the ancients. Following refinements in medicine, surgery, and prosthetic science to a great extent improved amputation surgery and the function of prostheses. The industrial revolution brought about prosthetic development fueled by money available to amputees following the American Civil War, seeding a bright group of humanitarians, scientists, and charlatans. Lastly the modern era of prosthetics starts with quantum leaps in technology developed in two world wars. (Thomas, Atha, and Haddan, Chester C, 1945, pp 90)
The earliest proof of humankind's recognition of deformity and worry for rehabilitation is hard to determine. Lots of ancient civilizations had no on paper records, and history was recorded verbally in poems, sagas, and songs. To find out the start of prosthetic science we have to rely on anthropology to understand artwork, remains, and myths.
The first anthropological evidence of an amputee is that of a human skull in the Smithsonian Institution 45,000 years old that illustrates teeth shaped and aligned in such a manner that point out he was an upper extremity amputee.....
