Individualizing goals for users of externally powered partial hand prostheses

1. Individualizing goals for users of externally powered partial handprostheses Lynsay Whelan, MS, OTR/L; Sharon Flinn, PhD, OTR/L, CHT; Nathan Wagner, LPO, CPO, OTR/L

2. Aim • Identify those tasks that individuals with partial hand limb loss or deficiency find both difficult to perform and important. • Relevance • This information leads to personalized modifications for individuals with prosthetic hands to ensure accomplishment of priority tasks.

3. Method • Subjects • 15 participants with partial hand amputations. • Measure • Flinn Performance Screening Tool (FPST): • Identifies valued life activities of individuals recovering from injury. • Dichotomous rating scale: • 1 = activity was important but problematic. • 0 = activity was not important or not problematic. • Of important but problematic items, subjects ranked top 5 priorities.

4. Results • Participants reported an average of 18 important and problematic tasks. • Most commonly reported activity limitations: • Cut meat, peel vegetables, trim nails, fasten buttons, serve food, tie rubbish, care for toenails, open packages, wash glasses, carry bulky items.

5. Conclusion • This study suggests need to identify and personalize care of individuals with partial hand amputations for improved prosthetic fabrication and functional outcomes. • Ability to address priority tasks in design and programming of and training with partial hand prosthesis shows promise when personalized goals are obtained.