Functional and psychosocial outcomes of bionic reconstruction and impact on quality of life, body image perception and deafferentation pain

Abstract

Global brachial plexopathies represent one of the most severe nerve injuries and usually affect young individuals at the prime of their life. Restoration of motor function in the shoulder and elbow do not automatically translate into improved functionality in daily life and/or psychological well-being. A vast majority of brachial plexus patients report to feel functionally limited to a great extent due to non-recovery or elbow recovery only. As with traditional primary and secondary reconstructions, it is thus important to highlight functional as well as psychosocial outcome variables following bionic reconstruction in patients with complete brachial plexus injuries. Here we describe effects of bionic hand reconstruction on various aspects of life including functionality, overall quality of life, body image, and deafferentation pain.