Major gains still to be made in quality of arm prostheses

Approximately 4,000 people in the Netherlands are affected by arm damage: they have to do without the use of their hand or part of their hand, their forearm or even a complete arm. The majority of these people have a prosthesis. This prosthesis may be purely cosmetic, or have a gripping function, enabling the user to carry out everyday activities. The latter may either be body-powered or myoelectric. A myoelectric prosthesis is controlled by electrical signals associated with the user’s muscle contractions, and is powered by electric motors. Body-powered prostheses are controlled by bodily movements. These movements are transmitted to the gripping mechanism via a harness on the shoulder and a cable.