Critical Factors in Electrically Powered Upper-Extremity Prosthetics

The patient population who elects electrically powered prosthetic intervention is limited, as are the practitioners who have sufficient experience to meet the patients’ myriad of goals. Maximizing a patient’s rehabilitation potential when using an electrically powered prosthesis involves several critical success factors. Formation of a rehabilitation plan via a team approach insures that all aspects of care are addressed simultaneously and is essential to a positive result that includes significant improvement in function and long-term prosthetic use. This paper examines aspects that should be considered while formulating and executing an electrically powered prosthetic rehabilitation plan.