Creating a standardized, quantitative training protocol for upper limb bypass prostheses.

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Limited standardized protocols exist for training able-bodied individuals on body-powered bypass prostheses.
• Efficient implementation in research settings requires a controlled training approach.
• Understanding optimal training duration and the role of prepositioning is crucial for user adaptation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a standard protocol for training able-bodied individuals on body-powered bypass prostheses.
• To assess the impact of training length and prepositioning on prosthesis use.
• To establish a framework for evaluating training effectiveness in research.

Main Methods:

• Six volunteers underwent ten 2-hour training sessions with a body-powered bypass prosthesis.
• Standardized tasks included object manipulation, free training, and activities of daily living.
• Performance was measured using the modified Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure and Box and Blocks Test, analyzed with learning curves and regression.

Main Results:

• Optimal training lengths were determined as three sessions (modified Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure) and six sessions (Box and Blocks Test).
• Effect size calculations supported these optimal training durations.
• Prepositioning showed a weak correlation (+0.38) with normalized scores, with a poor model fit (R² = 0.016), contradicting expected benefits.

Conclusions:

• A quantitatively assessed, standard protocol for body-powered bypass prosthesis training is provided, addressing a gap in current resources.
• The study establishes a framework for evaluating training length and the influence of prepositioning.
• Findings suggest prepositioning may not significantly enhance performance as previously assumed.