Upper Extremity Amputation and Prosthetics Care Across the Active Duty Military and Veteran Populations (original) (raw)

Given the invaluable functions of the upper extremity (UE) in daily life, replacement of a missing limb through prosthetic substitution is challenging. Goals of UE amputation surgery are to: preserve length and useful sensibility, prevention of symptomatic neuromas and adjacent joint contractures, facilitate early prosthetic fitting, and promote early return to functional activities. Design of UE prostheses is broadly categorized by the power source: body powered; externally powered; hybrid; or passive, in which the terminal device (TD) requires no power. The goal of preprosthetic training is to prepare the patient and his or her limb to receive a correct fitting and functional prosthesis. Fitting of a UE prosthesis should occur as early as possible so that the individual can begin training and performing bimanual tasks.