Prosthetics and orthotics international
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Prosthet Orthot Int · Feb 2018
Case ReportsUtilising three-dimensional printing techniques when providing unique assistive devices: A case report.
The evolution of three-dimensional printing into prosthetics has opened conversations about the availability and cost of prostheses. This report will discuss how a prosthetic team incorporated additive manufacture techniques into the treatment of a patient with a partial hand amputation to create and test a unique assistive device which he could use to hold his French horn. Case description and methods: Using a process of shape capture, photogrammetry, computer-aided design and finite element analysis, a suitable assistive device was designed and tested. The design was fabricated using three-dimensional printing. Patient satisfaction was measured using a Pugh's Matrix™, and a cost comparison was made between the process used and traditional manufacturing. Findings and outcomes: Patient satisfaction was high. The three-dimensional printed devices were 56% cheaper to fabricate than a similar laminated device. ⋯ Computer-aided design and three-dimensional printing proved to be an effective method for designing, testing and fabricating a unique assistive device. Clinical relevance CAD and 3D printing techniques can enable devices to be designed, tested and fabricated cheaper than when using traditional techniques. This may lead to improvements in quality and accessibility.
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Prosthet Orthot Int · Dec 2017
Prosthesis donning and doffing questionnaire: Development and validation.
To develop a questionnaire that specifically evaluates the ability of trans-tibial amputees to don and doff a prosthesis and to investigate the psychometric properties of the newly developed questionnaire. ⋯ The prosthesis donning and doffing questionnaire items showed good psychometric properties. A scoring method was suggested based on the pilot sample, which requires further evaluation to be able to differentiate between more suspension types. A larger international multicenter evaluation is required in the future to measure the responsiveness of the scales. This questionnaire will be useful in the evaluation of the ability of amputees to don and doff a trans-tibial limb prosthesis. Clinical relevance Donning and doffing of prostheses are challenging tasks for many lower limb amputees. The prosthesis donning and doffing questionnaire, on its own or combined with other prosthetic evaluation questionnaires, has the potential to help manufacturers, clinicians, and researchers gain knowledge and improve the donning and doffing qualities of prostheses.
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Prosthet Orthot Int · Aug 2017
Effect of hip braces on brake response time: Repeated measures designed study.
The question whether or not a patient with a hip brace should drive a car is of obvious importance because the advice given to patients to resume driving is often anecdotal as few scientific data are available on this specific subject. ⋯ Based on our findings, it does not seem mandatory to recommend driving abstinence for patients wearing a hip orthosis. We suggest that our results be interpreted with caution, because (1) an underlying pathological hip condition needs to be considered, (2) the ability to drive a car safely is multifactorial and brake response time is only one component thereof and (3) brake response time measurements were performed only with healthy participants. Clinical relevance Hip braces are used in the context of joint-preserving and prosthetic surgery of the hip. Therefore, clinicians are confronted with the question whether to allow driving a car with the respective hip brace or not. Our data suggest that hip braces do not impair brake response time.
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Prosthet Orthot Int · Oct 2016
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyComparison of the efficacy of a neutral wrist splint and a wrist splint incorporating a lumbrical unit for the treatment of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.
Different types of splints have been used as a conservative intervention to improve symptoms in patients with Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Although a number of studies have been undertaken to compare different splints, information and understanding of the influence of these interventions are lacking. ⋯ A wrist splint with a metacarpophalangeal unit may be an appropriate conservative treatment in the rehabilitation of patients with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.
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Prosthet Orthot Int · Oct 2016
Observational StudyMulti-segment kinematic model to assess three-dimensional movement of the spine and back during gait.
Relatively little is known about spine during gait compared to movement analysis of the lower extremities. The trunk is often regarded and analysed as a single rigid segment and there is a paucity of information on inter-segmental movement within the spine and its relationship to pelvis and lower limbs. ⋯ Reliable kinematic data can be collected using the three-dimensional cluster technique, thus, allowing researchers to accurately distinguish between movement patterns of healthy individuals to those with a clinical condition, and provide confidence in data acquisition during the monitoring process of an implemented rehabilitation intervention programme.