Wounded veterans are getting a new device that the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pentagon hope will make a major difference for not just hundreds of service members wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, but also thousands of older veterans who have lost legs to combat or diseases like diabetes. The device, known as the X2, is a prosthetic knee loaded with microprocessors, sensors and even a gyroscope that gives amputees more freedom of movement, and better balance, than previous prostheses, veterans affairs officials say. It is smaller, lighter and has a longer-lasting battery (up to four days) than other widely used prostheses.
