Progress on stabilizing and controlling powered upper-limb prostheses

Differences in myoelectric and body-powered upper-limb prostheses: Systematic literature review

“…BP prostheses, further, are noted to be easier to clean and maintain functionality with less adverse effect to function in the presence of loss of fit. Confidence in this statement is low because it is supported by multiple expert opinion articles [9,[43][44]; however, implications for this statement are considerable. BP hooks are also declared to be simple, robust, and well-suited for manual labor [43].…”

“…BP users reportedly offer some positional information to users even in dim or no light conditions [44]. This is in contrast to externally powered systems whereby control is via myosignaling, which offers no feedback comparable to BP actuation, which tells the user how much a split hook is presently open.…”

“…Ten studies of varying quality and design (Table 4) suggest that, depending on functional needs, control scheme familiarity, and user preference, either BP with a conventional hook or MYO prostheses are advantageous compared with each other or other alternatives [9][10]17,21,24,29,[38][39][43][44]. The range of study designs supporting this statement includes expert opinion, observational, and experimental designs.…”

“…Visual feedback is the primary source of functional feedback during manipulation with a MYO prosthesis [43] but is one of many forms of feedback available to BP users. Some experts state that a BP prosthesis with a hook TD provides an unobstructed view of objects of interest [44,48] and that the cable/harness system provides haptic feedback [43][44], allowing the user to sense the amount of opening of the hook. While all reporting experts seem to agree that BP prostheses ultimately improve sensory feedback, confidence in the associated evidence statement is low because all associated literature was ultimately via expert opinion.…”

“…Experts suggest that MYO control or any other control scheme (i.e., BP, hybrid control) should not be deemed singularly optimal but rather one of several control options considered in clinical practice depending on patient attributes, goals, and functional needs [43]. According to experts, MYO control offers little proprioceptive feedback or information to the user regarding joint position, speed of movement, and grip force [43][44]49]. Conversely, when someone has already accepted a MYO prosthesis as their primary system, they tend to report improved sensory feedback, including proprioception, in connection with the prosthesis [14].…”