There are 1.2 million amputees living in the United States. About 200,000 rely on prosthetics, but many complain about ill-fitting limbs that can be painful and uncomfortable. Now three new breakthroughs are helping survivors regain their independence one step at a time.

In September 2008, Jordan Wells and Ashley Younger were on their way to meet friends when Wells, 19, lost control of the car.

"It hydroplaned, went across the median, hit a tree and then went into oncoming traffic," Wells said.

Rescuers cut them out of the car and loaded them into a MedEvac helicopter for a 25-mile flight to the nearest emergency room.

"I was thrown before it hit the ground, and it just kind of all crashed together, and part of the helicopter crashed on my legs, and then the big tree fell on top of that," Wells said.

She woke up in the woods -- cold, in pain and alone. Two hours later, rescuers found the wreckage. Five people were on board the chopper, including Younger. Wells was the only survivor.

"They had my body on this broken board. My legs were straight, but my feet were hanging off the side by skin and tendons," Wells said.

After 20 surgeries, one leg amputation, three months in the hospital, and a year of therapy, Wells walks using a new bionic leg.

"For the first time, we actually have a device that's interactive with the patient. It's actually changing as the patient changes," said Phil Hewett, a prosthetist with Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. in Annapolis, Md.

Traditional prosthetic legs are static as the patient moves. Jordan's leg senses how fast she's moving, and then loosens or tightens to make each stride more comfortable.

"It can now sense much like the Wii game does. It has those advanced sensors on board so it knows if the patient's walking, running or jumping," Hewett said.

Bluetooth technology sends information from the leg to a Palm Pilot. That helps the doctor design a personalized fit for each person.

"Patients tell us it feels like a part of them and it's interacting as they interact. It's truly what the future holds," Hewett said.

Losing a limb no longer means losing independence.

"There's nothing you can do about the past, so live in today. These are the cards you've been dealt, so pick them up and play them," Wells said.

So far, doctors have only tested bioengineered arms in rats. The research project was funded by two grants totaling $4.5 million dollars by the Department of Defense. Their goal is to create better prosthetics for the many wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

BACKGROUND: After surviving a car crash on Sept. 27, 2008, Jordan Wells and her friend, Ashley Younger, were being transported to a nearby hospital by a MedEvac helicopter. But dense fog and rain made it difficult to land. The helicopter lost control and crashed. Younger didn't survive. Wells lived but had to undergo 24 surgeries to treat a broken cheekbone, nose, eye socket, shoulder blade and five dislodged spinal discs. She also lost one of her legs, but thanks to a new prosthetic, she's back on her feet again.

BIONIC LEG: Wells' new leg, the V-Hold, was developed by Hanger Orthopedic Group. It's unique "smart" socket adjusts as the wearer walks, jogs, speeds up, slows down, stands up or sits down. It's also designed to adjust to different terrains. Sensors and a vacuum suction improve fit and comfort.

One factor that may be speeding up the development of such technology is the fact that U.S. troops injured in Iraq have needed limb amputations at twice the rate of past wars. But many others could benefit from devices like the V-hold. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, there are 50,000 new amputations every year in the U.S.

i-LIMB: Another revolutionary prosthetic is the i-LIMB bionic hand. Each finger in the advanced hand has an individual motor, giving amputees the motor control it takes to execute everyday tasks, like writing and holding small objects. Electrodes are placed on the surface of the remaining portion of the person's limb that read myoelectric, or muscle signals, from within to control the hand.

THE FUTURE OF PROSTHETICS: Soon prosthetics will be controlled using the mind. Neuroscientists at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University have already successfully demonstrated that a pair of monkeys with electrodes in their brains are able to control a robotic arm as if it were their own. Scientists in the United Kingdom are also working to link prosthetic limbs with a person's actual skeleton. Currently, prosthetics are connected externally to a person's severed limb, but the Intraosseous Transcutaneous Amputation Prosthesis (ITAP) involves connecting a titanium rod directly into the bone. Experts say the risk of infection is avoided because skin tissue grows around the rod to form a seal.