Myoelectric prostheses for upper-limb amputees

Abstract

The recent remarkable development of robotic technology has made the myoelectric prosthesis available for use in the rehabilitation field. Accordingly, use of myoelectric prostheses for upper-limb amputee rehabilitation has become wide spread in the clinical field. The main advantage of myoelectric prostheses is the enhanced bimanual ability they deliver to the user. To achieve this performance, sufficient rehabilitation is critical in order for the amputee to use their prosthesis efficiently. Although prosthetic rehabilitation programs have been established for amputees with trans-radial and more distal amputation, a rehabilitation strategy for those amputees with a higher level of amputation remains to be established. In this literature, we propose a "Hybrid Myoelectric Prosthesis", which consists of a myoelectric hand as a terminal device and a body-powered active elbow joint, for higher level amputees as a realistic solution. The future production of far superior prostheses which meet amputees' demands is expected. For this purpose, it is absolutely imperative to secure the cooperation of both clinicians and engineers.