Fowl struts stuff with printed leg
One Massachusetts chicken is about to get a costly leg up on life - a $2500 (about R31700) prosthetic limb made on a 3D printer. The chicken, Cicely, is headed into surgery today for a unique procedure to fit her with an artificial limb, her owner, Andrea Martin of Black Thistle Farm, said.Three-month-old Cicely was born with a torn tendon in her right leg that limits her mobility. When Martin took her to Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine to be examined last week, she was given two choices - a prosthetic or euthanasia."It was a no-brainer," Martin said. "She needs to be able to live a normal life.""Any time you do surgery on a bird, it's a risk," she said. "But I think this will make her very happy. It's worth it."When Cicely goes into surgery, Dr Emi Knafo will amputate her right leg. She will then CT-scan Cicely's left leg, to be used for a 3D printed prosthetic.The chicken will be sent home to rest before her fitting. ..
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