The US's first double hand transplant patient says the hands don't work at all

Jeff Kepner, the first American to receive a double hand transplant seven years ago, now says the hands have never functioned at all. "From day one I have never been able to use my hands," he said in a recent interview with Time.

Kepner was the first American to undergo the experimental surgery, which, while risky, had the potential to greatly improve his quality of life. Kepner lost both his hands due to sepsis in 1999, according to Time. Up until the hand transplants, he had been using prosthetics, which enabled him to drive and remain employed — now he can do neither.

This complete failure may be an exception

While disheartening, the complete failure of Kepner's transplant may be an exception — at least according to his doctors at...