The Importance of Technical Devices in the Self-care of Upper Limbs Amputees

Abstract

The National Institute of Medical Rehabilitation (NIMR) is engaged in the rehabilitation of posttraumatic patients, including also attending traumatic cases with amputated upper limbs. The lack of upper limbs is a great obstacle in essential functioning for the injured, and that is why we give high priority to planning, constructing and individually adopting appliances for aiding everyday life. Special literature gives distinguished attention to operative techniques and the possibilities of prosthetic devices, but no professional articles present any special devices needed for discharging everyday vital functions. The purpose of this lecture is to present the results of our follow-up examination aimed at upper limbs amputees reeducated since 1994 at the NIMR (9 patients). Case studies conclude that the prosthetic care plays a surprisingly small part in the self-sufficiency of the injured. Claims to individual appliances are already more considerable but these cannot be obtained in normal commerce because of unprofitable production in view of users so few in number.