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. 2009 Aug;33(4):1101-5.
doi: 10.1007/s00264-008-0615-y. Epub 2008 Jul 18.

Myoelectric hand prostheses in very young children

Marcus Egermann  1 , Philip Kasten, Marc Thomsen
Affiliations

Myoelectric hand prostheses in very young children

Marcus Egermann et al. Int Orthop. 2009 Aug.

Abstract
in English, French

Myoelectric prostheses have generally been provided for adolescent or adult patients. The availability of smaller-sized electric hands has enabled the introduction of myoelectric prostheses to preschool children, mainly in the Scandinavian countries. This study evaluates the acceptance of myoelectric prostheses in 41 children with unilateral upper limb deficiency between the ages of two and five years. The prosthesis was used for an average time of 5.8 hours per day. The level of amputation was found to influence the acceptance rate. Furthermore, prosthetic use training by an occupational therapist is related to successful use of the prosthesis. The general drop-out rate in preschool children is very low compared to adults. Therefore, infants can profit from myoelectric hand prostheses. Since a correct indication and an intense training program significantly influence the acceptance rate, introduction of myoelectric prostheses to preschool children should take place at specialised centres with an interdisciplinary team.

Les prothèses myoélectriques sont généralement prévues pour les adolescents ou les adultes. La mise à disposition de matériel de petite taille à permis l’utilisation de prothèses myoélectriques chez des enfants en age pré-scolaire. Cette étude évalue l’acceptation de telles prothèses chez 41 enfants de 2 à 5 ans avec un déficit unilatéral du membre supérieur. La prithèse était utilisée en moyenne 5,8 H par jour. Le niveau d’amputation influence le taux d’acceptation. De plus un apprentissage par un ergothérapeute est en relation avec le succés de l’utilisation de la prothèse. Le taux de rejet chez ces jeunes enfants est trés faible comparativement à ce qu’il est chez l’adulte. Sous réserve d’une correcte indication et d’un programme intense d’apprentissage les prothèses myoélectriques ont une place chez les enfants d’age pré-scolaire.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Use of the myoelectric powered prosthesis by a four-year-old girl
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean daily wearing time (mean ± SD) of myoelectric prosthesis in the study group (n = 41) and different subgroups arranged by age, occupational training, level of amputation, and the prosthetic device used prior to fitting of the myoelectric prosthesis. The differences between the subgroups did not reach the level of significance except for level of amputation. *p < 0.05, a.e. above elbow, b.e. below elbow
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Percentage of children using the prosthesis during activities of daily living
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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