There’s a fairly obvious built-in skew to year-end “best-read” lists—they inherently favor content that was published early in the year. An attention-getting piece that appears in January has all 12 months to pile up pageviews; an equally popular story that appears in July only gets half as long to accumulate traffic. Most articles draw the bulk of their readership within a few weeks of publication, which mitigates the time-lapse effect to some degree. But the early birds get an undeniable boost.
BTW, the #1 article on this list is our best-read article in many years. It received more than twice as much traffic as any other article we published in 2023, and accounted for nearly 2 percent of our total traffic for the year as a whole.
In addition to sharing the usual catalog of best-read articles, we’ve listed the year’s best-watched Amplitude News Minute segments. That twice-a-week series (every Monday and Friday) launched in May on our Instagram and TikTok channels, and it ended up drawing an aggregate audience of nearly 100,000 viewers. Sponsorships are available, so if your organization wants to help us continue building the News Minute’s audience and scope, get in touch.
Finally, another of our new 2023 features—the Amputee Community Resource Directory—was Amplitude’s most-viewed page of the year, aside from the home page. The Resource Directory accounted for roughly 4 percent of our overall traffic (compared to 9 percent for the home page). So there’s another high-visibility opportunity for all you would-be sponsors.
With that, let’s wrap it up. See you in ’24.
12 Most-Read Amplitude Articles of 2023
As in years past, this year’s best-read list is dominated by content about sex/relationships, entertainment, fashion, and prosthetic technology.
12. Does Osseointegration Really Help Amputees Regain Balance?
A study measuring the gait characteristics of amputees pre- and post-osseointegration found that amputees became steadier on their feet after OI, exhibiting a more consistent stride and greater confidence in walking. Published February 27 / digital only.
11. BionicM Speeds the Race Toward Powered Prosthetic Legs
Bionic M has been chasing the powered-leg payoff for nearly a decade. In September, the company received a Class II exemption registration from the FDA, putting it on track to reach the US commercial market before the end of 2024. Published September 6 / digital only.
10. Albert Lin Nearly Lost His Leg (Again) on “Lost Cities”
During filming of Lost Cities Revealed, Lin and his production team endured no fewer than three near-fatal accidents, two arrests, the loss of their cameras in an Amazonian rapid, and an assortment of scorpion bites, broken bones, civic uprisings, and other catastrophes. Published November 29 / digital only.
9. Nine Things to Know About Knox Gibson
Knox Gibson and his family had just finished rewatching all four Hunger Games films in early 2022 when the call came for him to audition for Hunger Games: Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Not a bad gig for an unknown actor and below-elbow amputee. Published in the November / December print edition.
8. Dressing for Success on the Runway of Dreams
In addition to showcasing more models (70-plus) and brands (15-plus) than ever, Runway of Dreams’ New York Fashion Week gala represented the climax of the summer-long Campaign for Inclusion, a multimedia initiative that brought new awareness to accessible fashion. Published in the September / October print edition.
7. Return Ascender: Kirstie Ennis Has Everest Back in Her Sights
A former Marine sergeant who lost her leg in Afghanistan, Ennis is attempting Everest to affirm life, celebrate her own miraculous survival, and honor the sacrifices of fellow soldiers who can no longer climb their own mountains. Published in the May / June print edition.
6. Power to the People: Amputee Advocates Win Big in 2023
All over the country, in red states and blue states, elected officials from across the ideological spectrum have given their emphatic support to bills that would expand amputees’ access to athletic prostheses. Published in the May / June print edition.
5. Getting a Grip on the Bionic Marketplace
Next-gen bionic arms and hands offer mind-blowing technological sophistication. But choosing the right device can blow your mind, too—and not in a good way. Published in the July / August print edition.
4. Banksy Goes Bionic: Nick Harrier’s Picturesque Prosthetics
Nick Harrier began hacking his own prosthetic covers because he had “a desire not to look like a catalog.” So Harrier started custom-building covers for fellow amputees and donating them, free of charge. Published in the May / June print edition.
3. Did You Spot the Amputees in Barbenheimer?
You probably know that the summer’s two biggest movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer, shattered box-office records. But you might not be aware that both of these blockbusters have subtle on-screen depictions of limb loss. Published July 26 / digital only.
2. Gamut Seal of Approval Brings Trust Factor to Adaptive Fashion
Not all products that are marketed as “adaptive” or “inclusive” fully live up to the billing. So how’s a choosy shopper supposed to distinguish authentic disability-friendly goods from those that merely pay lip service to accessibility? Published in the January / February print edition.
1. The Single Life on a Single Leg
Diana Theobald has had the unique experience of dating two ways: while being disabled, and while being nondisabled. She can confirm one thing: They both suck. She loves where she’s landed, though. Here are eight lessons she’s learned about dating and limb loss. Published in the January / February print edition.
10 Most-Viewed Amplitude News Minute Segments of 2023
In Year 1 of the Amplitude News Minute, segments about entertainment, sports, and prosthetic tech dominated the most-watched list:
10. US Women’s Amputee Soccer Team makes its international debut: September 18
9. Amputee civil-rights marcher Jim Letherer memorialized in new mural: July 3
8. Commercial with bilateral arm amputee Kash Culberson wins top honors: June 6
7. Court rules against Universal theme parks in disability discrimination case: August 18
6. Mind-controlled bionic hand makes cover of Science: October 20
5. ThunderGong! rakes in $800K+ for Steps of Faith Foundation: November 13
4. US amputee athletes shine at Parapan Am Games: November 27
3. US Ski and Paraski national teams merge: June 16
2. Utah Bionic Leg makes Time magazine list of best 2023 inventions: October 27
1. Mech Cadets makes triumphant debut on Netflix: August 7