If you lost a leg in a motorcycle accident, working on a building site afterward would usually be a tall order.

Not for amputee Matthew Newbury, though, who became the first Briton fitted with new artificial limb, the Genium, The Daily Mail reports.

Made by German firm Otto Bock Healthcare, the Genium uses sensors to detect changes in movement and direction. Using this data, it can automatically adjust its rigidity at the knee, making it much easier for the wearer to walk normally.

Newbury is no stranger to prosthetic replacements, but never before have they been so effective, he claimed. The 30-year-old says he can now walk backwards, avoid tripping up and even take to the ski slopes for a spot of extreme sports.

"With my old leg, a lot of the time I'd be walking gingerly, avoiding tripping up, but now I can walk with much more confidence," Newbury said.

Here's a promo vid of the prosthetic in action: