h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Will the day ever arrive when it will be a normality to have a limb transplant . In much the same way we take for granted the transplanting of organs .Too late for me I think though . I lost my leg when I was 18 ,some 54 years ago as a serving soldier. But i would be first in line if it ever bacame a possibility. Just think of all the problems it would solve. No need to manufacture artificial limbs any more .Just go along to the nearest limb centre and have a transplant . Imagine black limbs on a white body ,white limbs on a dark body ,even a permutation of any colour of limbs on any body . It would wipe out racism overnight . We could train the prothesists in the new skill of limb transplantation and I for one would save a fortune on socks .
Tommy Mac

The French tried a hand transplant and it seemed to work for a while. However, the host body started to reject the hand and it became discoloured and itched. The person would had the transplant also found it too wierd having someone else's hand (it look peculiar as well). In the end it was removed and even if it handed gone 'bad' the individual may have and it removed anyway as it wasn't what he was used to.

The major theme here is that limbs are visible while internal organs are not. It's acceptable for people to have organ transplants now. They don't see it everyday so it doesn't bother them. A limb transplant, however, would look unnatural and many people would find it unacceptable as much as they may desire a replacement limb.

It may work better it new limbs could be 'grown' from stem cells taken from the individual. Not only would this being more acceptable to people but also it has the added advantage of no organ-host rejection.

As for wiping out racism I personally can't see this happening due to limb transplants as the rate would be so low. However, it is thought that by the end of the century whites will be minority here in Britain. This is due to interbreeding between races. Supposedly a woman in Britain has a 1 in 3 chance of giving birth to a child whose father is black - though I doubt realistically if the true statistic is that high. Racism could be curbed by this interbreeding - though you'll still get some twit going on about Arryan supremacy or something - as in a few hundred years it is likely that large proportions of the population will be homogenous mix of races. So instead people can hate each other for different reasons other than race. Perhaps religion for example. Or social divide, etc. etc.

to das mouldy sandwich
You know ? it was more like wishful thinking on my part.Nevertheless,I dont think it can be dismissed out of hand. I know of course about the case of the French atempt at transplantation and of its failure . But it WAS a start .just think back to the 60's and the concept of heart transplants . Frankenstien theories they were called . So many failures ,so many rejections ,it was assumed that such a transplant was nothing more than 'pie in the sky' .Now we accept it as a matter of course and look at a 99% success rate . So dont simply dismiss it my friend ,just because of one failure so far,so much more has to be done .So many improvements.But in the end m I think these transplants will be taken for granted . (I hope )
Tommy Mac

Possibly, though my feeling is more towards growing limbs from stem cells taken from the individual due to less chance of transplant rejection. There's also improvements with prosthetics which I imagine you know a lot more about than me.

for das mouldy sadwich
I only wear a prothesis you know ? i have no idea as to how it is manufactured . I have measurement taken ,a plaster cast made of my stump ,then 2 monts later the protesist fits my new artificial limb .
That Sir ,is the extent of my knowlege in makind artificial limbs .Just as long at it is comfortable .
Tommy Mac

I'd imagine comfort is immensely (spelling?) important. Out of interest (nosieness) what's it like? And do you get 'phantom linbs'?

to das mouldy sandwich
You would be amazed at how many people ask me this question.the answer quite frankly is, yes very much so .Will you believe at his very moment as I am talking to you,i am actually wiggling my non-existent toes .I kid you not sir . Spelling btw is 'immenslely' So are quite right
Tommy mac