The most commonly seen prosthetics are the Lower Extremity prosthetics, which refers to the artificial devices that are used to replace body parts which are located below the hip onwards. These include knee replacements or the prosthetic legs that are used by patients. These are convenient to use once the patient gets used to it and it is no more a challenge to function. There are also cases where a patient might be suffering from a hip – joint defect and a prosthetic device was used to replace it or help it operate better. There are also ankles prosthetics available which let the heel pad remain but replace the rest of the part of the foot.

The more advanced of these type of prosthetics are the robotic prosthetics. They use Biosensors to interpret signals from the user’s nerves or muscles. These signals are then sent to a controlling machine which is located inside the device. The controller is actually the part of the device that is connected to the user’s nerves and muscles. This controller then sends commands from the user to the actuator. This actuator is the part of the device that mimics the actual movements of the limbs, whether it is of the arm or the leg. A motor is usually present in such cases to replace the original muscle tissue that had been present.

Cosmesis is the further advancement of the prosthetic devices. This practice refers to the almost life like recreation of arms and legs etc. made from silicon and similar materials. These artificial arms or legs can be exactly copied from the natural hand and may be replete with hair, marks, freckles and every other detail.
However, replacements of limbs are not the only Medical Equipment that fall under the category of prosthetics. These also include such other common devices such as artificial eyes, dentures and artificial organs such as the lungs and heart. They are all different types of Prosthetics.