I first reported on this bionic elbow two years ago in the Boston Globe. MIT today is reporting positive results from a clinical trial.According to MIT, 32-year-old Maggie Fermental, who was left paralyzed on one side by a stroke, can use her arm with the aid of the NeuroRobotic Active Joint Brace.

The brace is made by Boston-based Myomo (www.myomo.com), an MIT spinout.

The brace sensed Fermental’s electrical muscle activity and provided power assistance to facilitate her movements, according to MIT.

Scientists also believe the Active Joint Brace provides further evidence of the brain’s neuroplasticity–its ability to rewire neurons to “work around” those damaged by stroke.

clipped from www.boston.com The secret behind your grip (From my Boston Globe column in Dec. 2006) Bionics Getting older will be awesome . . . really. Just think of all the cybernetic accoutrements you will be able show your friends at the senior center dance. Rather than flashing an old tattoo at your dance partner, you may be able to roll up your sleeve to show off your bionic elbow — the secret behind your firm grip through all of those breathtaking dips. The brace, designed to assist stroke victims who have lost partial use of limbs, detects through a patient’s skin the electric waves accompanying muscular contractions and can complete the intended motion — like lifting a forearm or bending a knee. It is the kind of technology that may lead to complete exoskeletons to keep aging baby boomers in motion.