Can prosthetic wrist reduce compensatory movements among upper limb prosthesis users?

The purpose of the project was to investigate whether the use of prosthetic wrist can reduce compensatory movements in upper limb prosthesis users.

Individuals who use conventional hand prostheses often experience muscle pain and/or joint pain due to compensatory movements when they grab objects that are difficult to access due to, for example, the position of the objects. In order to reduce compensatory movements, a solution may be to equip prosthetic users with a prosthetic wrist that can be adjusted for different wrist movement. Compensatory movement is a known problem among prosthetic users and the knowledge generated from this project can increase our understanding of how technical aids may reduce movements that lead to muscle pain.

Data will be based on 180 video clips from 60 conventional prosthesis users. The videos show how prosthetic users use their prosthesis to grasp objects of different sizes and in different positions.

Motion analysis will be performed using the DARTFISH 8 program. The program analyzes, for example, degrees of compensation and the number of times compensatory movements are performed in each activity.