A four-year-old Italian boy has regained the use of a hand that was irreparably damaged in a car accident thanks to the transplant of a toe. The toe has replaced the finger that was lost in the crash. The pioneering surgery was led by Bruno Battiston at Turin's Regina Margherita Hospital.

The op used innovative robot technology. Doctors said the new hand will not only function fully but will also grow as the boy gets older. "It is a cutting edge operation," said local 'Health City' Director Giovanni La Valle, "which our professionals managed to carry out by using tools never before used".