Prosthetics have been mentioned throughout history. The earliest recorded mention is the warrior queen Vishpala in the Rigveda.[4] The Egyptians were early pioneers of the idea, as shown by the wooden toe found on a body from the New Kingdom.[5] Roman bronze crowns have also been found, but their use could have been more aesthetic than medical.[6]
An early mention of a prosthetic comes from the Greek historian Herodotus, who tells the story of Hegesistratus, a Greek diviner who cut off his own foot to escape his Spartan captors and replaced it with a wooden one.[7]