It's a bird.
I'd say that it depends on the tech level of your setting. Replacing the parts every now and then would be the easiest route, but it's not hard to imagine some kind of sufficiently advanced cybernetics that somehow grow with the rest of the body.
Still a great "screw depression" song even after seven years.
We can always goes with nanites.
On spines: if injuries are relatively not very severe, you can always get by by installing titanium braces (already done in RL) and connecting severed nerves with nerve cells cultures (still in theorethical phase). Spines are not that rigid, anyway.
Fullmetal Alchemist explained it through adjusting the parts every so often, with a base connection port that is designed to be adjusted with ease as the user grows. Plus once people get to their mid teens generally the growing process begins to slow down as they reach their adult height.
@Corvidae
Cybernetics that grow with the user seems a bit out there to me even though there is a technology today that allows for electric nanopolymers to be inserted into a plant which in turn grow with it in a very literal sense. The plant's internal structure guides the materials. Just search for Cyborg Rose.
That said, I would like my character to learn how his body functions and be able to replace and repair his limbs. No Winry Rockbell here.
Thanks for the input on spines.
@Echoing Silence
Yeah, I had FMA in mind even though my universe lacks magic, always found their portrayal of artificial limbs somewhat grounded and believable. Regular adjustments seems to be the way to go.
One or two twists in a story is fine, Shyamlan-esque even. But please don't turn the poor thing into a Twizzler!
See the treatment for Mycobacterium (TB) infection on bones and scoliosis for bone reconstructive surgery. That helps alot.
This comes up in some Shadowrun background sources. In one novel the protagonist encounters a homeless man who still has the child-sized cyberhand he got as a ten-year-old because he couldn't afford a replacement. The workarounds for the problem are stated to either be a part that can be adjusted as the biological body grows (more expensive initially but less troublesome over time) or to replace the parts sequentially over time (less initial investment, more running costs).
Reality is for those who lack imagination.
Something that's been bothering me for a while. Let's say a very young character, early teens for instance gets a pair of prosthetic legs that begin just slightly above his knees (this is the future so artificial knee technology has basically been perfected).
What happens as time passes and he grows? Say he gets blessed with a height worthy of a basketball player. Would the prosthetic on his legs get tighter and then he would need bigger/longer ones (Which is what we do in today's world)?
What about arms?
Finally, how much do our spines grow from teen to adulthood? If a man was given an artificial spine or his spine was reinforced/augmented, how would you compensate for the growth factor?
edited 24th Jan '16 4:43:23 AM by SmokingBun
One or two twists in a story is fine, Shyamlan-esque even. But please don't turn the poor thing into a Twizzler!