Contact dermatitis to a limb prosthesis

Abstract

PROSTHESIS USERS commonly develop various skin problems on the residual limb, directly under the prosthetic device when the device is in direct contact with the skin. Prolonged occlusion and humidity increase the likelihood of developing contact sensitivity to moisturizing creams, medicaments, and materials in the prosthesis itself.1 Allergic contact dermatitis to various prosthetic design materials is uncommon, and the relevance of positive patch-test results to chemicals present in prostheses may be difficult to establish. Most reports of allergic contact dermatitis to prostheses have been concerned with surgical amputees and not congenital amputees. We report a 5-year-old boy with a transverse partial hemimelia who developed allergic contact dermatitis to an adhesive used in his myoelectric prosthesis. Unlike most prostheses, myoelectric prostheses are worn directly against the skin, for surface electromyography electrode contact.