Soldier injured in Afghanistan becomes first Briton to be given bionic arm he can control with his BRAIN

A soldier who had his arm blown off by a grenade in Afghanistan has become the first person in the UK to receive a mind-controlled prosthetic limb.
The revolutionary arm was fitted during surgery which involved rewiring the nerve system and has been hailed as the future of prosthetic recovery.
Defence Minister Anna Soubry, who met Corporal Andrew Garthwaite today, said: ‘It is the stuff of almost science fiction coming to reality.’

Corporal Andrew Garthwaite, 26, is believed to be the first person in Britain to be given a bionic hand that he can control with his brain

Corporal Garthwaite lost his arm while serving in Afghanistan in 2010. He is pictured wearing muscle sensors before the robotic arm was fitted

Corporal Garthwaite had to have seven hours of surgery to rewire his nervous system before the new arm could be fitted. Graphic shows how the muscle sensors control the robotic arm

Corporal Garthwaite was injured when a grenade exploded in Helmand Province

Nerve endings from Corporal Garthwaite's shoulder, which would have run down to his hand, were instead rewired into his chest muscles

For 18 months Corporal Garthwaite has had the sensation of a hand growing in his chest

The soldier has had to learn how to control his hand with electrodes sending signals to his new arm so that he can control it with impulses from his brain

Corporal Garthwaite said: 'When I first got told about the operation I thought it was some sort of fairy tale, that someone was taking the mickey. But here I am today with this arm that is fitted and works off my mind. It's unbelievable'

Corporal Garthwaite has demonstrated that he can carry out everyday tasks such as potting a plant and making a jam sandwich using his prosthetic arm

He said: 'There is no point in looking back because you can never turn back time. I am still very lucky to be here. With this new life I have got, hopefully I can be very successful'

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