Article

The number of catastrophic injuries caused by improvised explosive devices in the
Afghanistan and Iraq Wars has increased public, legislative, and research
attention to upper limb amputation. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has
partnered with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and DEKA Integrated
Solutions to optimize the function of an advanced prosthetic arm system that will
enable greater independence and function. In this special communication, we
examine current practices in prosthetic rehabilitation including trends in
adoption and use of prosthetic devices, financial considerations, and the role of
rehabilitation team members in light of our experiences with a prototype advanced
upper limb prosthesis during a VA study to optimize the device. We discuss key
challenges in the adoption of advanced prosthetic technology and make
recommendations for service provision and use of advanced upper limb prosthetics.
Rates of prosthetic rejection are high among upper limb amputees. However, these
rates may be reduced with sufficient training by a highly specialized,
multidisciplinary team of clinicians, and a focus on patient education and
empowerment throughout the rehabilitation process.
There are significant
challenges emerging that are unique to implementing the use of advanced upper
limb prosthetic technology,
and a lack of evidence to establish clinical
guidelines regarding prosthetic prescription and treatment. Finally, we make
recommendations for future research to aid in the identification of best
practices and development of policy decisions regarding insurance coverage of
prosthetic rehabilitation.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS