David Sengeh: The sore problem of prosthetic limbs

譯者: Adrienne Lin 審譯者: Marssi Draw

I was born and raised in Sierra Leone,

我在獅子山共和國出生長大。

a small and very beautiful country

它是個很小、非常美的國家，

in West Africa,

位在西非。

a country rich both in physical resources

蘊含豐富的自然資源

and creative talent.

以及創新人才。

However, Sierra Leone is infamous

然而，獅子山以

九〇年代長達十年的 反抗戰爭而惡名昭彰。

for a decade-long rebel war in the '90s

when entire villages were burnt down.

當時村落完全被摧毀。

An estimated 8,000 men, women and children

估計有八千名男性、女性、孩童，

had their arms and legs amputated during this time.

當時手臂與腿部遭受截肢。

As my family and I ran for safety

我和家人為求生命安全而逃亡，

when I was about 12 from one of those attacks,

當時有另一起攻擊，我十二歲。

I resolved that I would do everything I could

我下定決心，要盡我所能的

to ensure that my own children

確保我自己的孩子

would not go through the same experiences we had.

不會經歷我們曾經歷的一切。

They would, in fact, be part of a Sierra Leone

他們會身在一個安全的獅子山，

where war and amputation

在那裡，戰爭與截肢

were no longer a strategy for gaining power.

不再是爭奪權力的手段。

As I watched people who I knew, loved ones,

當我看著朋友、我愛的人

recover from this devastation,

從這種蹂躪中復原，

one thing that deeply troubled me

最讓我困擾的其中一件事

was that many of the amputees in the country

就是國內有許多截肢者

would not use their prostheses.

都不使用他們的義肢。

The reason, I would come to find out,

我後來發現了原因。

was that their prosthetic sockets

是因為他們義肢的套接口

were painful because they did not fit well.

與身體並不吻合，導致疼痛萬分。

The prosthetic socket is the part

義肢的套接口

in which the amputee inserts their residual limb,

是截肢者將殘缺的肢臂

and which connects to the prosthetic ankle.

與義肢關節相連的地方。

Even in the developed world,

即使在已發展國家，

it takes a period of three weeks to often years

也要三週，甚至通常需幾年時間

for a patient to get a comfortable socket, if ever.

才能讓病患獲得舒適的套接口， 有時或許永遠不可能。

Prosthetists still use conventional processes

義肢師仍用傳統的方式，

like molding and casting

像是鑄模等，

to create single-material prosthetic sockets.

製造單一原料的義肢套接口。

Such sockets often leave intolerable amounts

這種套接口通常會施加非常重的

of pressure on the limbs of the patient,

壓力於病患的肢臂上，

leaving them with pressure sores and blisters.

會導致褥瘡與水泡。

It does not matter

不管

how powerful your prosthetic ankle is.

你的義肢踝關節多有力，

If your prosthetic socket is uncomfortable,

如果套接口不舒服，

you will not use your leg,

你就不會使用義肢，

and that is just simply unacceptable in our age.

而這在現代是完全無法接受的。

So one day, when I met professor Hugh Herr

所以有天我與修．赫 (Hugh Herr) 教授見面，

about two and a half years ago,

這大概是兩年半前，

and he asked me if I knew how to solve this problem,

他問我是否知道如何解決這個問題。

I said, "No, not yet,

我說：「不，還沒，

but I would love to figure it out."

但我真的很想找出答案。」

And so, for my Ph.D. at the MIT Media Lab,

所以我在麻省理工學院 媒體實驗室的博士研究中，

I designed custom prosthetic sockets

設計出客製的義肢套接口，

quickly and cheaply

不只快又便宜，

that are more comfortable

還比以往義肢更加舒適。

than conventional prostheses.

I used magnetic resonance imaging

我使用核磁共振成像

to capture the actual shape of the patient's anatomy,

捕捉病患身體的形狀，

then use finite element modeling to better predict

之後利用有限元素模型化，更精確預測

the internal stresses and strains

內部壓力與張力

on the normal forces,

在一般力道下的狀況。

and then create a prosthetic socket for manufacture.

再來才創造義肢套接口，並進行製作。

We use a 3D printer to create

我們用 3D 印表機創造

a multi-material prosthetic socket

多種材料的義肢套接口，

which relieves pressure where needed

可以視病患身體的需要減輕壓力。

on the anatomy of the patient.

In short, we're using data

總而言之，我們利用數據

to make novel sockets quickly and cheaply.

快速、便宜地製造了新穎的套接口。

In a recent trial we just wrapped up

我們剛在媒體實驗室中 完成一次試驗。

at the Media Lab,

one of our patients, a U.S. veteran

其中一位病患，是美國退伍軍人，

who has been an amputee for about 20 years

他二十年前截肢的，

and worn dozens of legs,

曾穿過十幾隻義肢，

said of one of our printed parts,

而他說我們用 3D 印出來的部位

"It's so soft, it's like walking on pillows,

「很柔軟，好像走在枕頭上，

and it's effing sexy."

真是天殺的性感。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Disability in our age

在我們的時代中，殘疾

should not prevent anyone

不應該阻止任何人

from living meaningful lives.

過著有意義的生活。

My hope and desire is that the tools and processes

我希望、渴望我們研究小組 所研發的工具與過程，

we develop in our research group

can be used to bring highly functional prostheses

可以帶來更高效能的義肢，

to those who need them.

提供給需要的人。

For me, a place to begin healing the souls

對我來說，

治癒那些受戰爭、疾病所苦 人們心靈的方式之一，

of those affected by war and disease

is by creating comfortable and affordable interfaces

就是為他們的身體創造 更舒適、便宜的義肢連結面。

for their bodies.

Whether it's in Sierra Leone or in Boston,

不管是在獅子山共和國或波士頓，

I hope this not only restores

我希望這不只能修補，

but indeed transforms their sense of human potential.

還能轉變他們的人類潛能。

Thank you very much.

非常感謝各位。

(Applause)

（掌聲）