Oscar Becomes World's First Bionic Cat After Farm Accident

[Ravyk]

Not dog related, but I know there are a few cat lovers around the place.

http://www.news.com.au/world/oscar-becomes...i-1225884599089

A BLACK cat that lost both hind paws after being run over by a combine harvester on the island of Jersey, in the English Channel, was revealed to the world overnight as the world's first cat to be fitted with a pair of flexing bionic legs.

Without the prostheses, Oscar would have been unable to walk and may have been put down.

The two-year-old’s owners, Kate and Mike Nolan, were referred by the local vet to Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Surrey, south England, who pioneers prosthetics.

Oscar’s custom-made implants are attached internally to the ankle joints, where the foot was amputated, and emerge through the skin like a pair of stilts. They are coated with hydroxyapatite, a material that mimics the way antler bones mesh with soft tissue.

“Oscar is the first creature to have a prosthesis that is osteointegrated, skin-integrated and part of a moving joint,” said Prof Fitzpatrick. “It’s a miracle of biomechanics.”

The implants, known as ITAPs (intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics), were first developed by Gordon Blunn, a biomedical engineer, and colleagues at University College London.

The honeycomb structure allows skin to bond to the implant, forming a seal against infection.

In a three-hour operation, the ITAPs, costing £2000 each ($2,987), were inserted by drilling into Oscar’s ankle bones. Prof Fitzpatrick then studied Oscar’s gait to design suitable feet.

After eight months at Prof Fitzpatrick’s practice he can now walk, run and climb stairs on his rubber-soled prosthetics. He will not be allowed outside unless on a harness once he goes home, in a month. “Imagine he goes outside and tries to climb a tree - what then?” said Prof Fitzpatrick.

Oscar’s case shows that the flesh and bone melds to the bionic limb well enough for it to bear weight and bend beneath the skin. “Noel’s experiences are informing human surgery, which is very unusual in orthopedics,” said Mr Blunn, a biomechanics specialist.

Prof Fitzpatrick said he welcomed a collaborative approach with human surgeons but that his primary responsibility would always be the pet. He and his clinic are the focus of a BBC TV series, The Bionic Vet which begins in the UK.

[indigirl]

Ok now that looks freaky.

[persephone]

Good experiment opportunity Lucky cat , I think..... Hope the pegleg doesn't get stuck in his ear when he scratches

[Sue]

8 months learning to walk. Poor cat.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

i am so not sure about this. pts may have been kinder.

what life will this cat have. the owners will have to be very careful to watch the cat cause those legs could get caught anywhere and may even get stuck. i hope it is an inside cat that only has access to a secure run outside

[indigirl]

i am so not sure about this. pts may have been kinder.

what life will this cat have. the owners will have to be very careful to watch the cat cause those legs could get caught anywhere and may even get stuck. i hope it is an inside cat that only has access to a secure run outside

Considering it lost its leg in a combine harvester im guessing its an outdoor cat!

Poor cat should have been PTS

[Kirty]

He seems happy enough to me? The Prof said he would have to be kept indoors (thank god) but the feet are so tiny - not sure why they wouldn't have made them normal cat size? Anyway, you have to start somewhere. This cat seems to have normal movement now and will hopefully live a long life.

[aleeleewolfe]

thats just like saying if a human lost a foot he should get put down too?

[Kirty]

No its not like that at all aleeleewolfe. You can explain to a human that in x amount of time, they will feel better, etc. You cannot explain to an animal that it is suffering but in the long term it will be better. Animals don't understand the future, they only know the here and now.

[WoofnHoof]

Depends on whether it is suffering, there are plenty of 3 legged cats getting around quite happily most of them have to adapt to being indoors. Animals adapt far more readily to their 'disabilities' than humans do, the pic says he can walk run and climb and if he can still lick his own bum he's probably pretty happy

Might have taken him a while to get to that point but you can say that about most major surgeries really, he's a pretty young cat and could realistically have 10-15 years in front of him as a pampered house cat. Depends on the animal I suppose if it's a really high energy cat it might be suffering but without knowing the cat it's too hard to say.