Mummy, what happened to my toe?

According to “The ancient origin of prosthetic medicine” in The Lancet, February  2011, the first known prosthesis or body part replacements were artificial big toes which were found attached to the feet of Egyptian mummies which were dated back to 600BC.  According to Dr. Jacky Finch of KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology, one of the artificial toes was made of wood and leather and was reported to be particularly comfortable by volunteers who wore the toes.  The other toe was made of linen, glue and plaster and was said to be a slightly less efficient toe replacement.  According to the study, both designs were efficient replacement for toes and can be classified as true prosthetic devices.

So, the next time a patient asks me, as a Toronto foot specialist, if I do foot replacements in my podiatry clinic, I will direct her or him to the ancient Egypt section of the museum.  However if you suffer from more mundane foot pain such as Bunions, hammertoes,Ingrown Toenails, suffer from ugly Fungal Nails or require Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy for Heel Spur Pain, Arch Pain, Plantar Fasciitis, Achilles Tendonitis, please contact my Toronto foot care clinic at 416-486-9917 so that we can get you walking more comfortably. 

Photo from the British museum