Which is the Best Upper Limb Prosthesis?

This is the time to think about what you want. Don’t be afraid to dream big. In an ideal world, what would your prosthesis be able to do? How would it look? What are your goals, at work and at home? Do you have hobbies or is there a new hobby you’d like to explore? Keep in mind that life with a prosthesis is a journey — your needs may change with time, you may need more than one device to help you pursue your goals, or technology may change. For instance, our patient Kiersten really liked her first prosthesis, a bebionic. "My first myoelectric hand was great. I really enjoyed wearing it. But I did have to turn it off if I wanted to, say, pick up a glass. I didn’t want to drop a glass if I accidentally moved a muscle and the hand automatically opened. But with my newer hand, the TASKA CX, I just use my other hand to hit the lock button on the back plate of the hand, and it locks. When I unlock, it’s still in the same position — whereas before, when my previous hand turned back on, it would return to the home position each time. I’d have to make sure I could put down or drop whatever I was carrying. But with the TASKA CX, I don’t have to worry about that. It also turns on a lot faster with just a quick click."

While it's good to have ideas about what would best serve you best, it’s also key to be flexible, for several reasons. One is that while you are the expert on your body and your needs, our prosthetists and therapists are the experts on upper limb prosthetics. Our patient Shane, pictured below, has a partial amputation of his pinky and ring fingers, and was able to adapt to a different plan than what he initially had in mind. “Originally, I was convinced that I needed a Naked Prosthetic device for my ring finger. And I thought for sure, I don’t want anything else, that’s my only option. My Arm Dynamics prosthetist discussed the pros and cons with me, and I actually went a completely different route.” Shane learned that other options were available, and it turned out that a Point Designs Digit was better for him. So, he has a passive-positional Point Designs Digit on his residual ring finger, and a body-powered Naked Prosthetics device on his residual pinky finger. Passive devices like Point Designs prosthetic fingers mean that Shane manipulates the grip of the finger with his sound hand or by pressing it on his leg or a nearby surface.