Social Issues
For most people, losing a limb impacts every aspect of their life such as mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Readjusting to life after amputation is most likey to be challenging for most people. Difficulties in adjustment with this associated with depression, feelings of hopelessness, low self-esteem, fatigue, anxiety, and sometimes suicidal ideation. Family members and friends to as much as they can do to help but some patients go through the stages of grief.
Ethical Issues
The research, development, application and use of prosthetics and implants raises a number of ethical issues, relating to health and safety, distributive justice, identity, privacy, autonomy, and accountability. Biomedical engineers and medical specialists have a special, professional responsibility in dealing with the ethical issues that arise, as they are mainly responsible for the development and fitting of prosthetics.
Legal Issues
In the absence of case law related to these specific issues, the courts might struggle in re-categorising prosthetics since these devices, no matter how integrated they are, are not “biologically human.” They are constructed devices that do not contain the person’s DNA. They were not part of that person at birth. They are also replaceable.
