It's been five years since the bombing at the Boston Marathon, and in that time, advances in artificial limbs and treating amputees have made it possible for some of the victims to lead full and active lives. There were 17 victims of the bombing that lost limbs and for those survivors having the best technology is vital to continuing to heal after such a traumatic event.
In addition to better tech for prosthetic limbs, new surgical techniques were found after research dollars were used to study how to preserve some mobility when amputating limbs. One particular method now allows surgeons to keep tendons in the lower leg from being cut. These tendons can then attach to an artificial leg, and the patient has better control and better sensory input from the prosthesis. Researchers at MIT are working on limbs that can receive brain signals, so movements are more natural. The victims of the bombing have lost so much, but medical science has gained advances that can hopefully allow them a better quality of life.