Article

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the compensatory movements of the trunk during
functional reaching tasks performed by upper limb prosthesis users. DESIGN:
Survey. SETTING: Clinical laboratory at a national rehabilitation hospital.
PARTICIPANTS: Transhumeral and transradial prosthesis users (n=10) and uninjured
control subjects (n=10). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Three-dimensional motion analysis data were collected during simulated reaching
tasks, such as donning a cap, placing a nut, and sorting clothes. The metrics
were range of motion of the trunk in the 3 anatomical directions and elbow and
shoulder path distance. RESULTS: Prosthesis users had significantly larger
truncal movements than controls during all 3 reaching tasks in all 3 directions
(P</=.03). Shoulder path distance in persons with amputation was larger than in
controls in all 3 tasks (P<.01). Elbow path distance in persons with amputation
was larger than in controls in the nut and clothes tasks (P</=.02). The subgroup
of transradial prosthesis users displayed these abnormal movements despite the
presence of an intact elbow. CONCLUSIONS: The altered physiologic structure of
the arm caused the individuals to develop a different motor control strategy than
an intact arm. Functional limitations, such as the loss of distal degrees of
freedom, required persons with amputation to use trunk displacement in place of
arm/hand movement. These compensatory movements during reaching tasks may be a
cause of prosthesis rejection and, in some cases, may be resolved with proper
rehabilitative training.
Analysis of compensatory trunk movements may also provide a useful endpoint for evaluating new prosthesis designs.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS