Reflections on the present and future of upper limb prostheses.
Dario Farina1, Sebastian Amsüss1,2
1a Department of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, Bernstein Focus Neurotechnology Göttingen, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience , Georg-August University of Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany.
Expert Review of Medical Devices
|March 1, 2016
Summary
Future upper limb prostheses will advance beyond current designs, incorporating muscle reinnervation, osseointegration, and chronic electrode implants for better control and sensory feedback. This will offer significant clinical benefits to patients.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Prosthetics Research
Background:
- Current active upper limb prostheses show limited innovation compared to historical designs.
- Major obstacles include restricted information transfer for control and sensory-motor integration, alongside socket technology challenges.
- Despite research, clinical progress in upper limb prosthetics has been slow for decades.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the current state-of-the-art in upper limb prosthetics.
- To provide an expert opinion on the future direction of upper limb prosthetic technology.
- To identify key advancements expected to drive the next generation of prosthetic devices.
Main Methods:
- Review of current state-of-the-art and academic achievements in upper limb prosthetics.
- Analysis of existing technological limitations and potential solutions.
- Expert opinion synthesis on future clinical relevance and viability of emerging technologies.
Main Results:
- Surgical procedures like muscle reinnervation and osseointegration are predicted to gain clinical importance.
- Muscle electrical signals are expected to remain the primary method for prosthetic control.
- Chronic electrode implants in muscles for control and nerves for sensory feedback are anticipated to become viable clinical solutions.
Conclusions:
- A new generation of upper limb prostheses is foreseeable in the near future.
- These advancements, including improved surgical techniques and implantable electronics, will offer substantial clinical benefits.
- The future of upper limb prosthetics involves enhanced control, sensory feedback, and integration with the human body.
