No abstract

The usefulness of wisely prescribed powered components in the rehabilitation of upper extremity amputees has long been recognized (Schmidl, 1973). Their value is especially evident in the prosthetic rehabilitation of high level adult and child amputees (Heger et al, 1985). In recent years, manufacturers of prosthetic hardware have provided practitioners with a wide selection of either myo-electrically or switch controlled electromechanical components and systems. As a rule, however, most commercially available components are designed to serve the adult amputee and do not lend themselves for use in the prosthetic rehabilitation of children. One current exception is the availability of child-size electric hands.

This report deals with the incorporation of the Otto Bock powered wrist rotator with the Systemteknik child's size electric hand to gain an additional degree of freedom. Technical details are provided and a case study involving a 5-year old girl with bilateral shoulder disarticulation is presented.