Giving a Finger Isn't Always a Bad Thing

A new approach in prosthetic hand technology is being honored for innovative design and its developers are throwing support beyond a new foundation to foster even greater advancements.

Didrick Medical has won the 2009 Perfect Pitch Award for its X-Finger, an active function artificial finger that helps finger amputees gain greater dexterity and hand use. The company has also launched a nonprofit organization called World Hand Foundation, with a percentage of X-Finger sales going to the new cause.

"We are thrilled about being recognized with this award – especially from such a prestigious group and among such strong competitors," said Dan Didrick, CEO of Didrick Medical, in a press statement.

"While the art of fabricating realistic finger prostheses has come a long way, the major advancements have been primarily cosmetic. Both the award and the World Hand Foundation will help us provide practical solutions to those who need such devices," Didrick stated.

The X-Finger doesn’t work on motors or batteries but rather by the user’s palm and finger ability and cognitive techniques for motion. It is one part of a series of components that the company said can be built into over 500 device configurations, to essentially fit any finger requirement.

Finger amputation is not rare these days, with the CDC reporting that approximately 28,000 nonwork amputations happen every year with one or more fingers. On the job, there are about 8,000 finger losses each year involving one or more fingers, according to the US Bureau of Labor.

Photo courtesy of Business Wire/Didrick Medical