Article

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether prosthetic fitting before the
age of one year is associated with better outcomes in children with unilateral
congenital below-elbow deficiency compared to children fitted after the age of
one. Twenty subjects aged 6-21 years were recruited (five prosthetic users and 15
non-users). The Child Amputee Prosthetics Project-Prosthesis Satisfactory
Inventory (CAPP-PSI) and the Prosthetic Upper Extremity Functional Index (PUFI)
were used to assess patient satisfaction and functional use of the prosthesis.
Videotapes were used to assess motor performance. Initial prosthetic fitting
before one year of age was related to use of a prosthesis for at least four
years. Age at first fitting was not associated with satisfaction with the
prosthesis, functional use of the prosthesis or motor skills. Discrepancies
between ease of performance with prosthesis and usefulness of the prosthesis as
well as between capacity and performance of activities were found. The video
assessments showed impaired movement adaptation to some tasks in six subjects. In
conclusion, early prosthetic fitting seems to have a limited impact on prosthesis
use during later stages of life.

Langue : ANGLAIS