World's first surgery for bionic legs -- on a cat

LONDON - After surviving a farming accident that cost him both of his back paws, a cat named Oscar was fitted with prosthetic limbs -- a rather unusual procedure for an animal.

Usually, animals can get by if they lose one limb, but losing two can be a death sentence.

"If a cat has two legs that are damaged beyond repair, it's very hard to keep him going," said Dr. Mark Johnston, a veterinarian and spokesman for the British Small Animal Veterinary Association. "We would generally euthanize a cat in that situation."

Oscar's owners, Kate and Mike Nolan, weren't about to let that happen. They took him to their vet, who in turn referred them to Dr. Noel Fitzpatrick, a neuro-orthopedic surgeon.

According to the Associated Press, Fitzpatrick fitted Oscar with two metal prosthetic implants, or pegs. The pegs were attached to custom-built faux paws that wobble to imitate a cat's natural walk.

What makes these implants so special? They are fused to Oscar's body -- attached directly to the bone where he lost his paws and coated with a substance that allows the bone to grow back over them.

"We have managed to get the bone and skin to grow into the implant and we have developed an 'exoprosthesis' that allows this implant to work as a see-saw on the bottom of an animal's limbs to give him effectively normal gait," said Fitzpatrick.

After four months and some rehabilitation, Oscar is back on all four feet -- and running.

According to Yahoo News, the same technology that helped Oscar walk again, called Itap, has already been used to create a prosthetic for a woman who lost her arm in the July 2005 London bombings.

Fitzpatrick said that he believes Itap will change the future of orthopedics.

Information from the Associated Press, Yahoo News and FOX News.