Twenty years from now, exoskeletons probably won't be as advanced as the one depicted in the 2007 movie Iron Man, where actor Robert Downey Jr.'s character Tony Stark dons a suit of armor to fight crime. Ultimately, that's a fictional account of just what the technology can do and not based in reality at all. What is reality, however, is a growing interest in these devices being used to help patients with spinal cord injuries walk.

I have had may share of personal experiences with medical technology. Some were painful, some humiliating, and some downright scary. But looking at a humorous list from ViralNova (www.viralnova.com) of 15 vintage medical devices, I’m reminded of how far medical innovation has come. Suddenly the devices I’ve been poked and prodded with over the years don’t seem so bad. This is ViralNova’s list of crazy ancient medical devices, in reverse order: Rectal dilators: Without diving directly into the deep end of TMI, let’s just say I do have some medically-relevant experience with the modern version of these devices. As unpleasant...