An operation to surgically implant a bionic hand prosthesis on a 45-year-old patient has been successfully completed at the American Medical Centre, giving him the chance to regain a functional upper limb, the centre reported on Thursday.

The patient, who was injured in a car accident, received an osseointegrated bionic prosthesis, a procedure in which a surgically placed implant fuses directly with the living bone tissue.

The surgery was carried out last Friday by specialist orthopaedic surgeon Stelios Hadjichristofis, during which a cylindrical bone-anchoring implant (BADAL) was placed in the man’s arm.

The prosthetic limb features myoelectric components – externally battery-powered devices controlled by the user’s muscle signals. It includes a myoelectric elbow, wrist and multi-joint palm, which will allow the restoration of key functions following the above-elbow amputation.

According to the announcement, once the implant has fully stabilised in the coming weeks, the arm will gradually begin to be loaded with increasing weight, with the final phase being the patient’s training on how to operate the bionic arm.

The 45-year-old was involved in a serious motorcycle accident on September 13 last year, suffering multiple injuries, including the amputation of his left arm above the elbow. Despite the severity of his condition, successive surgeries, hospitalisation and intensive physiotherapy allowed him to get back on his feet after six months.

Given his relatively young age and good overall health, he was deemed a suitable candidate for the prosthesis.

The procedure was approved by the health ministry, while the prosthetic arm was manufactured by the Orthopaedic Applications Centre (Keo), which has also overseen the patient’s training over the past three months.