The Old Dog Asks: Are You Hip to This? Spare Body Parts For Sale!
I could hardly believe my eyes, a warehouse full of spare parts for the human body. What was I doing here?
In My Work I See a Lot of Strange Things
I have often written about how, in my window cleaning business, I see a lot of weird and wonderful things. This time we were asked to clean the windows of a designer and manufacturer of artificial hips and knees. What I saw there helped me to realize how vast this industry is and how much it can change peoples lives.
Do Bad Hips Run in Your Family?
Just within my immediate family there have been 7 hip replacement surgeries. Can you blame me if I'm a little paranoid about being next? For this reason I recently had some x-rays done and so far I've avoided this reality!
My ageing carcass is holding up OK with no sign of osteoarthritis in my hips! At least so said the doc!
Are You Curious About What's Inside This Place?
This particular factory has about 500 people working in it and about 50 of them are in Research and development. When I saw how much product they were shipping out I was amazed!
There were 6 30 meter rows of shelves like this per floor covering three floors. That works out to 18 rows and 540 meters of shelving ( about 5.5 football fields) filled with various joint parts ready to be shipped out! Wow! After looking a little deeper I realized that the market is HUGE and getting bigger every year! Photo:pixabay.com
On almost every one of the 50 desks in the R+D area there were skeletal parts and replacement parts side by side!
One day you might Knee d their services!
Was I in a Car Mechanic Shop or a Medical Facility?
Actually they seem to have a lot in common. There were tools all over the place. I've heard the human body referred to as "the most wonderful machine ever conceived" and now I could see even more clearly why!
Tools, both specialized and common place are needed for putting a new you together!
Every surgeon needs to have the right tools handy!
Facts About Joint Replacement Surgery
- In The U.S.A. alone there are over 300,000 hips replaced per year!
- First performed in 1960, hip replacement surgery is one of the most successful operations in all of medicine.
- Studies show that about 7.2 million living Americans have an artificial joint.
- Worldwide estimates show that 10% of men and 18% of women aged over 60 years have symptomatic osteoarthritis,
- JAMA estimates that by 2030 knee replacement surgery could reach 3.5 million per year in The U.S.A.
For those who are suffering, joint replacement surgery has given them relief from pain and increased mobility. Who knows how far advancements in this industry will take us!
What Do You Say?
- Does all this look a little strange and sci-fi to you?
- Have you or someone you love been in need of joint replacement surgery?
- Do you know of something that I can do to escape this fate?
- How far do you think this body part replacement industry will go?
I hope that you enjoyed this article. I think that it's really hip!
Until next time,
@kus-knee (The Old Dog)
Old Dog they will rebuild you faster and stronger than before for the right price!
I have a favor to ask pal! We have a steemian in need and I was wondering if you might be able to shine a light on a post for me?
Send me a message in chat.
Done, thanks for your consideration!
My left hip. The leg is shorter - around 0.7 centimeters. Then I went to the doctor and he gave me 3 prescriptions for the man who heightens the sole. Means I only had to pay 5 euros for te prescriptions and the rest pays the insurance. But I didn't have money to buy shoes. I put in a cut flip flop to heighten it and then went to jail for handing out fliers for bitshares. The pig reported me because his wife was mental. She put her hand into my private zone next to the head and said that I should please leave them alone. I got sentenced for insult because I told her thatI find it disgusting the way she talks to me. After one year I got into a police control which was started by some nazis who called the police. the fine was 100 euros and it was end of the month and I was out of money. I went one week to jail for that and I had to beg the guards to look up a phone number of a friend who then came and paid the restof the money. I ran away and was living on the street . I ran away because Iam a passionated maritomato grower and could not afford new shoes and was depressed. Now almost a year later I am about to get better. If you think that was too long of a reply, ask me to buy you a beer or fanta one day.
Hey man you're a street performer. Since I wasn't standing in front of you for you to perform you wrote it for me. Now I must pay you and with Graphene technology it shall be instant!
You must nothing, friends don't pay. One day we can walk around together for an hour or three and you will be part of the show. It only works when you feel that we are a team, a group, otherwise people will read your bodylanguage and walk further. Can you clap? ;)
thanks for sharing and I hope to god I never need any of that!
Me too!
Totally agree!
As far as I know only my grandmother had a hip replacment....so I guess I am good there.
My guess is we are only seeing the start of this.
Hands getting replaced by robotic arms, olympians run with "fake" legs and everything is still in its baby shoes.
Amazing time to be alive.
Your right. Things ar developing very quickly in this area.
I enjoy all your articles dear brother @kus-knee, as they are always unique and come from personal practical experience and always have something new to learn. Those facts about joint replacement really enhanced my knowledge on the joint replacements all around the world.
A. Yes my dad needs both the knees replaced, waiting for the replacement surgery since last year. Very long waiting list here in Canada (as free here). He is going to India for it next month and will do it with cost. Free doesn't worth the pain, discomfort and sufferings.
Q. Do you know of something that I can do to escape this fate?
A. Keep taking enough glucosamine chondroitin and healthy lifestyle
Q. How far do you think this body part replacement industry will go?
A. I think full overhaul just short of putting life into a dead body.
Thanks for your answers. My sister waited a LONG time in Canada and went through a lot of pain. I know other Canadians that have gone abroad for medical tourism. India seems a good option and I hope for your father to have a full recovery!
I will look into the glucosamine chondroitin. Thanks for the info!
Yes, there are very good doctors over there and many of our relatives did hip and knee replacements in India and all are doing well. My mom taking glucosamine chondroitin bit younger than my but doing very well.
Impressive, seen from a mechanical point of view, we are a very sofisticated and advanced machine! Are those hips shown on the pictures the ones that goes for the replacement? If so I wonder which material are they done! I know some people that they had to put prosthesis in the knees. I heard that glucosamine is very good for joints. It's a substance that comes from sellfish and apparently it helps cartilage to renew
Thanks for the medical advice about the glucosamine. You're the second Steemer to mention it so I'll check it out!
It's amazing. If all governments in the world redirect 10% of military budget toward this all people in need could get free spare parts and live more comfortably life. To bad that's not gonna happen. Nice post man.
Free spare parts for everyone! Can you imagine that?
Wow this is a great article!!
Thanks nba05.
Body parts are big business... not just spare either. There's a huge black market for them... During the war in Bosnia, DynCorp (a CIA cutout) was trafficking them... there are university hospitals in the US that "part out" murder victims in Chicago. What you scratched the surface of is a huge, ugly enterprise that is pervading the planet!
Yes I've heard of that.
It's an ugly business (and illegal) the lines are becoming blurred as to where the parts are coming from. I have osteo in my hips, my back, my knees, RA in my feet, Bursitis in my shoulders... ain't old age grand!!! Golden Years my ass lol!
Nice article @kus-knee, there is a huge market for body parts, just about anything you can think of: organs, skin, blood, tissue, tendons, corneas, etc.
I did some digging into organ harvesting and the black market for human organs, both deceased and live donors. Pretty dark stuff really. Maybe a bit off topic...
Anyways, if you're interested I'll send some links to the posts I made a few months ago.
Really, interesting subject btw.
Thanks so much. Yes it would be intersting to see your post.
A Rough Guide to Black Market Organ Harvesting
https://steemit.com/pizzagate/@v4vapid/a-rough-guide-to-black-market-organ-harvesting
Skin and Bones Comodified
https://steemit.com/organharvesting/@v4vapid/nsfw-skin-and-bones-commodified
Wikileaks on Organ Harvesting: A Webb Companion
https://steemit.com/organharvesting/@v4vapid/wikileaks-on-organ-harvesting-a-webb-companion
Yikes! Thanks for the links!
The first article has some interesting info on price lists for different body parts depending on country and how the Chinese government uses prisoners for organ harvesting.
I know, probably not the best Sunday reading material, lol.