<p>It's a happy ending for Oscar. While lazing in the sun, the British cat lost his two hind paws in a tragic combine harvester accident. But after receiving two bionic paws from Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Surrey, the lucky black cat can now continue crossing many paths. Oscar really is a bionic cat, as these aren't just any prosthetic paws. They're called "<a href="http://eprints.ucl.ac.uk/11595/" title="">intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics</a>" (ITAP)--which means that the skin from Oscar's amputated legs can actually grow into the prostheses, like a deer's skin grows into its antlers. This skintight solution reduces the chance of infection. As Fitzpatrick <a href="&quot;The real revolution with Oscar is [that] we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone.&quot;" title="">told</a> the BBC, which will feature Oscar on a show called The Bionic Vet (see <a href="&quot;The real revolution with Oscar is [that] we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone.&quot;" title="">video excerpt</a>): </p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><blockquote><p>"The real revolution with Oscar is [that] we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone."</p></blockquote><p> Though it's the first surgery of its kind on a cat, <em>Popular Science</em><a href="https://popsci.com.cn/technology/article/2010-06/british-amputee-cat-first-get-bone-grafted-exoprosthetic-paws" title="">notes</a> that these special legs may soon help human amputees as well. Researchers are currently testing ITAP technology on humans, including a victim of the 2005 London bombings. Related content: Discoblog: <a href="/health/when-humans-get-animal-prosthetics-amputee-fitted-with-mermaid-fin" title="">When Humans Get Animal Prosthetics: Amputee Fitted With Mermaid Fin</a> Discoblog: <a href="/health/air-guitar-hero-helps-amputees-test-out-new-arms" title="">“Air Guitar Hero” Helps Amputees Test Out New Arms</a> Discoblog: <a href="/health/step-one-in-your-surgery-swallow-the-microscopic-hands" title="">Step One in Your Surgery: Swallow the Microscopic Hands</a> Discoblog: <a href="/health/bizarre-disorder-makes-people-want-to-sever-their-own-limbs" title="">Bizarre Disorder Makes People Want to Sever Their Own Limbs</a></p>

Meet Oscar, the bionic cat who received revolutionary bionic paws after losing his hind legs in an accident. Discover his story!

Planet Earth

Meet Oscar, the Bionic Cat

Article

News

Joseph Calamia

Science

It's a happy ending for Oscar. While lazing in the sun, the British cat lost his two hind paws in a tragic combine harvester accident. But after receiving two bionic paws from Noel Fitzpatrick, a veterinary surgeon based in Surrey, the lucky black cat can now continue crossing many paths. Oscar really is a bionic cat, as these aren't just any prosthetic paws. They're called "intraosseous transcutaneous amputation prosthetics" (ITAP)--which means that the skin from Oscar's amputated legs can actually grow into the prostheses, like a deer's skin grows into its antlers. This skintight solution reduces the chance of infection. As Fitzpatrick told the BBC, which will feature Oscar on a show called The Bionic Vet (see video excerpt): "The real revolution with Oscar is [that] we have put a piece of metal and a flange into which skin grows into an extremely tight bone." Though it's the first surgery of its kind on a cat, Popular Sciencenotes that these special legs may soon help human amputees as well. Researchers are currently testing ITAP technology on humans, including a victim of the 2005 London bombings. Related content: Discoblog: When Humans Get Animal Prosthetics: Amputee Fitted With Mermaid Fin Discoblog: “Air Guitar Hero” Helps Amputees Test Out New Arms Discoblog: Step One in Your Surgery: Swallow the Microscopic Hands Discoblog: Bizarre Disorder Makes People Want to Sever Their Own Limbs

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认识奥斯卡，这只仿生猫

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约瑟夫·卡拉米亚（Joseph Calamia）

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