The $20 prosthetic knee that could change lives in India

FRED DE SAM LAZARO:

Here's a comparison.

In the United States, a prosthesis like this would typically range in price from $8,000 to $12,000. It would be made of metal, aluminum, possibly carbon fiber, whereas, in Jaipur, the key ingredient is a PVC piping more commonly used to irrigate farms. And this is the key to a $50 artificial leg.

Despite the overall success with artificial limbs, one challenge that has required a lot more innovation is the knee.

DR. POOJA MUKUL, Orthopedic specialist: So much so that it's better to lose both the limbs below the knee than to lose one leg above the knee. And the knee has been the weakest link in prosthetic componentry in the developing world. We've had very simple knee joints which are single axis, which are more like door hinges, and we've been using them largely because of the simplicity, low cost and also non-availability of any other options.

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