In 1950, Prosthetic designers gradually replaced wood and leather with newer materials. J.E. Hanger of Washington created a subsidiary called Metal Limb Manufacturers, creating prostheses out of strong, ultra-light magnesium.

In 1989, J. E. Hanger, Inc. of Washington, D.C., was purchased by Hanger Orthopedic Group, Inc. and became part of their wholly owned subsidiary, Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics.