Inspired by the Boston Marathon bombing survivors, incredible medical advances were achieved

Five years ago, 17 people lost limbs in the Boston Marathon bombing, fueling efforts to improve amputations and artificial limbs. On April 15, 2013, two homemade bombs exploded near the marathon finish line in Boston, Massachusetts, firing shrapnel into the crowds that killed three and injured 260. Following the attack hundreds of thousands of dollars were donated to research for technology that would help get the 17 amputees back on their feet. The lessons learned by working with those survivors have been integral to developing better prosthetics for them and all other amputees. Each of these survivors have undergone multiple surgeries and many of them continue to experience severe pain even five years later. However, the doctors and researchers who helped them get back on their feet say the advances in prosthetic technology that resulted from working with the survivors is a silver lining of the bombing.

posted Thursday April 12th