What is Osseointegration?
In Greek, the word ὀστέον or osteon means ‘bone’, which is the root of the scientific term “osseointegration.” This is the intimate union between body and machine which helps humans who have had amputations or other chronic issues be able to feel again with a prosthetic limb actually connected to their body.
If all the world’s a stage and we are merely actors, then our nervous system is the conductor of our body’s movements and is responsible for keeping us in rhythm with the universe as we perform our lives. Osseointegration is the orchestra of the production where it follows the lead of our nervous system’s conduction making our sense of touch perform its best. Without osseointegration, there would be no sense of touch, no music, just a broken body.
But osseointegration tells amputee patients: the show must go on.
One use of osseointegration is in hearing implants called bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA). Children who live without a full sense of hearing or who have structural damage and cannot wear traditional hearing aids. BAHA osseointegration provides an opportunity to hear music and laughter with greater acoustic clarity than other hearing aids or implements.
This allows for their symphony to be played, felt, and heard in their life’s show.