[Long-term experience with the myoelectrical arm prosthesis for blind hand-amputees]

In the framework of a personal investigation seven blind hand amputees (survivors of world war II, and of the Portuguese colonial war) had been interviewed to study the influence of myoelectric prosthetic fitting on their social and vocational rehabilitation. Five of them use their prostheses from eight to fifteen hours a day, primarily in the office; at home they prefer their Krukenberg stump. For the clients' self-esteem, the cosmetic factors seems to be decisive. Yet all of the clients engaged in (desk) work emphasize that they could do their jobs without using the myoelectric prostheses, without however wishing to be provided with some other type of prosthesis.