Barbie donated her body to science

Did you know that Barbie donated her body to science at Duke University Medical Center in the late 1990s? The samples used were reused to make knuckles for prosthetic hands.

It sounds like a joke, but it's true. Barbie made her mark in history, not only as one of the most famous toys of all time, but also by donating her body to science to create prosthetic arms.

The Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina came to the conclusion that the joints of Barbie dolls could be used as artificial joints.

Initially, the donation was not entirely voluntary, as Jane Bahall of the Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina explained to reporters when she contacted Mattel, the California company that makes the famous doll. Bahor set about amputating the legs of popular American dolls and using their joints as ankles for prosthetic fingers, giving them the same realism as the toys.

She then realised that even without the knee joints, Barbie could still help those in need, so she set about carefully removing the necessary parts to give the rest of the toy to children.

Three years later, the popular doll, who had just turned 40, finally decided to get her own voluntary donor card and Mattel began sending out her dolls for free.

A Mattel spokesperson said: "We were very excited that Barbie has not only been fun for little girls, but can help adults who have been in an accident."

The Barbie doll, an object of admiration among the little ones in the house, has apparently been the subject of some forms of racial and/or sexist discrimination, due to her pronounced curves and her incredibly pronounced "wasp waist", despite her large breasts and hips, she was harshly criticised. Perpetual sexist stereotypes. In Bahoor's opinion, it is nice that "after so many years of criticism, the doll has found its social conscience."

Its joints help give the prosthetic finger greater flexibility, allowing the user to bend it with the other hand to hold a cup or pen, and also makes the prosthetic finger look more natural.