Mo Ali has much more dexterity since he got his new fingers (Picture: OpenBionics/SWNS)
A keen cyclist who lost part of his hand in a meat grinder is enjoying life back in the saddle after becoming the first person to get 3D-printed bionic fingers.
Mo Ali, 40, had four fingers amputated from his right hand following a childhood accident in the kitchen.
As well as being bullied and forced to hide his limb difference, his lack of dexterity made cycling and other tasks difficult.
But now Mo is the first recipient of the Hero Gauntlet, a prosthesis for partial hand amputees by UK firm Open Bionics.
He’s able to cycle and dress himself more easily with his new bionic device – and it’s given him a huge confidence boost.
‘I love bikes, cycling and everything to do with them,’ said Mo, from Brighton.
Mo was bullied as a child after four of his fingers were amputated (Picture: OpenBionics/SWNS)
It’s much easier for him to cycle now (Picture: OpenBionics/SWNS)
Other prosthetics just didn’t give him the dexterity he needed (Picture: OpenBionics/SWNS)
‘In the past, I used to use a bike glove, stuff it with tissue and grip it around the handlebars so I could have better control of steering.’
He said he tried a prosthetic hook prescribed by the NHS but it felt heavy and uncomfortable.
‘It was operated by my shoulder to open and close. It was so heavy and uncomfortable – and it got in the way. I stopped using it after a day,’ Mo said.
‘With the Hero Gauntlet, once I have a grip on something I know it’s not going anywhere.
‘I coped with my disability by simply hiding it… now, I’m able to walk down the road without feeling the need to hide.’
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Bristol-based Open Bionics used 3D printing and scanning technology to make the prosthetic which it hopes will be made available on the NHS to other people with limb differences.
Co-founder Samantha Payne said: ‘We’ve had so many requests to design and develop a functional partial hand prosthesis for all-day wear.
‘It’s pure joy to see this piece of engineering have a positive physical and emotional impact on Mo’s life.’
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