Main content

Extraordinary Senses: Amputee Who Could Touch Again

Dennis Aabo Sørensen made history as the first amputee to feel the sensation of touch through a prosthetic.

On the eve of 2004, Dennis Aabo Sørensen was at a party with his friends in the Danish city of Aalborg where he was given a faulty firework that exploded in his hand. His injuries were so severe he had to have his hand amputated. But 10 years later, through taking part in ground-breaking research, he became the first amputee in the world to feel the sensation of touch through a revolutionary prosthetic. The LifeHand 2 tests took place in Italy at the Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma. He tells Outlook's Saskia Edwards what it was like to make history. Look out for more fascinating stories about sight, hearing, smell and taste in this series about extraordinary senses.

Image: Dennis Aabo Sørensen testing his prosthetic on a plastic cup
Credit: Credit Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma

Release date:

Available now

18 minutes

Featured in...

Podcast