Use of Powered Prosthesis for Children with Upper Limb Deficiency at Hyogo Rehabilitation Center

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 6; p. e0131746
• Main Authors: Toda, Mitsunori, Chin, Takaaki, Shibata, Yaeko, Mizobe, Futoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 30.06.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Amputation; Amputees - rehabilitation; Artificial Limbs; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Elbow; Elbow (anatomy); Families & family life; Female; Forearm - surgery; Hospitals; Humans; Japan; Joint surgery; Male; Medical records; Medicine; Occupational therapy; Parents; Patient Dropouts - statistics & numerical data; Patients; Prostheses; Prostheses and implants; Prosthesis Design - instrumentation; Prosthesis Implantation - methods; Rehabilitation; Rehabilitation Centers; Rejection rate; Surveys and Questionnaires; Therapists; Japan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131746

There has been no research investigating the use of powered prosthetic for children in Japan. To gain better insight into the state of powered prosthesis usage and identify a ratio of rejection among children. Subjects were 37 unilateral below elbow amputees between the ages of 0 and 16 at the time of their first experienced fitting with a powered prosthesis at our Center. The information was collected from medical records and through face-to-face interviews, and we examined rejection rate and the factors affecting the use of powered prosthesis. The rate of discontinuation was 21.6% as 8 of the 37 children stopped using powered prosthesis. All of them were fitted their prosthesis after 2 years of age, and they rejected prosthesis between 5 to 19 years. We found that the level of amputation had no influence on the use of a powered prosthesis. Children fitted before 2 years of age tend to accept their powered prosthesis than those fitted after 2 years. Multidisciprinary team approach, adequate rehabilitation, detailed follow-up and involvement of parents are quite important for introducing powered prosthesis for children.