Design of a new terminal device combining voluntary opening and voluntary closing

Upper limb amputees, using a body-powered prosthesis, generate energy with their shoulders which leads to opening or closing of the prosthesis. The preference for one of these types, voluntary opening (VO) or voluntary closing (VC), differs for individuals and for task specifics. Research is, therefore, done regarding terminal devices which...

Design and evaluation of a novel upper limb body-powered terminal device with voluntary opening and voluntary closing capabilities

The field of upper limb prosthetics focuses on the development of artificial replacement devices for upper limb loss, from partial finger loss to amputation of the entire arm at the shoulder. Hand and hook prostheses are designed to replace the functionality of a missing hand and can be powered either by external sources (e.g. electricity) or by...

Assessment of Body-Powered Upper Limb Prostheses by Able-Bodied Subjects, using the Box and Blocks Test and the Nine Hole Peg Test

Study Design: Experimental trial. Background: The functional performance of currently available body-powered prostheses is unknown. Objective: The goal of this study was to objectively assess and compare the functional performance of three commonly used body-powered upper limb terminal devices. Methods: Twenty-one able-bodied subjects (n=21, age...