Yemen Develops Affordable Artificial Knee to Revolutionize Prosthetics

The General Authority for Science, Research, Technology, and Innovation has recently developed an advanced prototype of an artificial knee using reverse engineering based on a German model. Dr. Abdulaziz al-Houri, the Authority's Vice Chairman, told the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that the prototype has been delivered to the Prosthetics Center under the Ministry of Health for evaluation and feedback. This input will be used to refine and improve the current design.

Dr. al-Houri stated that, once feedback is integrated and the necessary adjustments made, large-scale production of the artificial knee will commence according to a collaboratively established mechanism with the Center. This approach aims to significantly lower the cost of the product, which currently sells for about $700, ultimately fulfilling the Authority’s mission to make advanced prosthetic solutions more accessible to the community.

He described the project as a qualitative leap toward achieving self-sufficiency in the humanitarian field of prosthetic limb development and localization. The local manufacturing of artificial knees is expected to positively influence the production of other prosthetic products. The Authority also plans to expand its efforts to manufacture plates and components used in upper and lower limb prosthetics—items that are presently imported at significant expense.

Dr. al-Houri emphasized that mastering this complex technology would pave the way for the local production of a broad range of similar medical devices, making future manufacturing more straightforward. He also noted that domestic production of prosthetic knees will benefit the national economy by reducing reliance on costly imports and helping to close the gap between healthcare needs and available solutions.

He explained that the impetus for this initiative came from communications with the Wounded Foundation, the Limb Center, and the Disabled Fund, all of which highlighted persistent difficulties in sourcing affordable prosthetic devices. Despite a competitive market, prices have remained high, making prosthetics inaccessible for many, especially those with limited financial means.

To address this, the Authority has conducted a study to align local capabilities with the latest advancements in prosthetic technology. The focus was on identifying prosthetic components suitable for domestic manufacture and the integration of cutting-edge methods to serve thousands of people with disabilities across the country. The resulting project assessed current needs, pinpointed technical challenges, and leveraged reverse engineering to successfully reproduce and locally manufacture the German prosthetic knee model.