Arch Plast Surg.  2019 Jul;46(4):303-310. 10.5999/aps.2018.01375.

Clinical outcomes of a low-cost single-channel myoelectric-interface three-dimensional hand prosthesis

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Stanford Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA.
  • 3Department of Trauma Surgery, Wonkwang University Hospital, Iksan, Korea.
  • 4Beauty Plastic Surgery Clinic, Seoul, Korea.
  • 5Department of Plastic Surgery, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. ecjeong@snu.ac.kr

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Prosthetic hands with a myoelectric interface have recently received interest within the broader category of hand prostheses, but their high cost is a major barrier to use. Modern three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has enabled more widespread development and cost-effectiveness in the field of prostheses. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the clinical impact of a low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric-interface prosthetic hand on patients' daily life.
METHODS
A prospective review of all upper-arm transradial amputation amputees who used 3D-printed myoelectric interface prostheses (Mark V) between January 2016 and August 2017 was conducted. The functional outcomes of prosthesis usage over a 3-month follow-up period were measured using a validated method (Orthotics Prosthetics User Survey-Upper Extremity Functional Status [OPUS-UEFS]). In addition, the correlation between the length of the amputated radius and changes in OPUS-UEFS scores was analyzed.
RESULTS
Ten patients were included in the study. After use of the 3D-printed myoelectric single electromyography channel prosthesis for 3 months, the average OPUS-UEFS score significantly increased from 45.50 to 60.10. The Spearman correlation coefficient (r) of the correlation between radius length and OPUS-UEFS at the 3rd month of prosthetic use was 0.815.
CONCLUSIONS
This low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric-interface prosthetic hand with a single reliable myoelectrical signal shows the potential to positively impact amputees' quality of life through daily usage. The emergence of a low-cost 3D-printed myoelectric prosthesis could lead to new market trends, with such a device gaining popularity via reduced production costs and increased market demand.

Keyword

Artificial limbs; Amputation stump; Hand

MeSH Terms

Amputation
Amputation Stumps
Amputees
Artificial Limbs
Electromyography
Extremities
Follow-Up Studies
Hand*
Humans
Methods
Prospective Studies
Prostheses and Implants*
Quality of Life
Radius
Full Text Links
  • APS
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr