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Updated: May 18, 2026
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Therapy Interventions for Upper Limb Amputees Undergoing Selective Nerve Transfers
Published on: October 29, 2021
Intermanual transfer in training with an upper-limb myoelectric prosthesis simulator: a mechanistic, randomized,
Sietske Romkema1, Raoul M Bongers, Corry K van der Sluis
1Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, NL-9700 RB Groningen, the Netherlands. s.romkema@umcg.nl
Physical Therapy
|September 15, 2012
Summary
Training with a myoelectric prosthesis simulator improved prosthetic handling in the affected arm through intermanual transfer. This effect was consistent regardless of arm dominance, suggesting potential benefits for upper-limb amputation rehabilitation.
Area of Science:
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Prosthetics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Intermanual transfer can enhance prosthetic use and acceptance when initiated early post-amputation.
- Training soon after amputation may leverage intermanual transfer for improved outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate intermanual transfer effects following training with a myoelectric upper-limb prosthesis simulator.
- To determine if skills learned with a prosthesis simulator transfer to the contralateral limb.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, pretest-posttest design involved 48 able-bodied participants.
- The experimental group trained with a prosthesis simulator for 5 days, while the control group only underwent testing.
- Skill acquisition was assessed via tests administered before, immediately after, and 6 days post-training, focusing on movement time, initiation time, and force control.
Main Results:
- Significant reduction in movement time observed in the experimental group, indicating faster prosthetic handling.
- No significant differences were found between groups for initiation time or force control.
- Intermanual transfer effects did not differ between dominant and nondominant arms.
Conclusions:
- Intermanual transfer was demonstrated in the affected arm after training the unaffected arm with a myoelectric prosthesis simulator.
- The observed transfer effect was independent of arm laterality.
- This finding suggests a potential for intermanual transfer to aid in the rehabilitation of individuals with upper-limb amputations.
