Artificial limb technician Zhang Xin assists a patient practicing the use of his new prosthesis in a hospital in Changchun, Jilin Province. Photo: CFP

Having lost a leg in a traffic accident at the age of 6, Zhang Xin knows the needs of amputees well.

"To a kid of that age, it was not clear what happened, except suddenly I couldn't jump or run any more," he said. But soon he could jump and run again, after his parents got him an artificial leg. That's why he became an artificial limb technician despite majoring in business management at college.

He wears an artificial leg in place of his lost calf, which enables him to function in much the same way a healthy person is able to.

Stirring gypsum with water, adding it to the mold, and trimming the "legs" bit by bit after they dry, Zhang makes limbs like sculptors carving their next work. His studio, in a hospital in Changchun, Jilin Province, is always filled with the smell of silica gel, which he uses to create an artificial limb. Zhang said he spares no effort in making each of them fit its patient perfectly.

Zhang makes at least 10 artificial legs every month. Even though there are other people like him dedicated to making artificial limbs, their production is barely enough to keep up with the demand for artificial prostheses. A total of 3,306 people registered for artificial legs in Jilin Province during the first 10 month of this year.

Global Times

Zhang covers the metal "bones" while making an artificial leg. Photo: CFP

 

Zhang helps a patient put on an artificial leg next to used legs left in the hospital. Photo: CFP

Zhang jumps to return a shot while playing badminton with a friend, wearing an artificial leg. Photo: CFP

Zhang measures the leg of a patient to collect data for mold-making. Photo: CFP