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Abstract

In The Netherlands, about 3750 people have an arm prosthesis, and the rejection rate is astonishing. Especially in puberty, appearance and fashion become more important. Teenagers can be very honest, direct and even cruel in their opinion, and when you wear ‘an ugly prosthesis’ the criticism seems credible. Several studies were conducted with prosthesis wearers, their teenage peers and their prosthetics professionals, to measure the emotions and concerns regarding existing and futuristic prosthesis designs, as well as to evaluate the created concept designs. Natural appearance is an important issue, and therefore hook prosthetics are unsuitable with strong associations with pirates and robots. The cosmetic glove gets the most positive emotional responses of all existing prostheses. However, it is vulnerable, maintenance sensitive, expensive and unsuitable for physical activities teenagers perform during their active daily lives. A natural appearance is also achieved when a prosthesis looks like ‘it is covering a healthy limb’. This corresponds with prosthesis wearers who see their prosthesis not merely as a replacement of their arm, but as an accessory to their body. The ArmWear products elaborate on this idea, with a glove and elbowcover that can be worn over any existing hand-shaped prosthesis. ArmWear is a tailor made product, feasible to produce by the piece. Next to the natural appearance, the functions of the ArmWear allow the teenage prosthesis wearer to quickly add protection and grip to their cosmetic glove, and easily customise the appearance to match their personal style and clothing. DYO-Patches can be custom designed, in order to create a prosthesis they feel confident with and proud to wear.