A myoelectrically controlled shoulder-elbow orthosis for unrecovered brachial plexus injury.

Two myoelectrically controlled battery powered shoulder-elbow orthoses manufactured individually for two traumatic unilateral brachial plexus injury cases are reported. The first case was 24 years old and the other was 6 years old. Both patients had undergone unsuccessful microsurgical nerve repair procedures leaving them with elbow and shoulder paralysis and some residual hand motion. Manufactured orthoses were made of lightweight thermoplastic polyethylene. They stabilised the affected shoulder joint in the neutral position. Elbow extension and flexion were activated by a myoelectrically controlled battery powered orthosis, and the active range of motion of the elbow was between 60 and 140 degrees. These orthoses achieved elbow motions at a speed of 16 degrees per second. The rehabilitation time was 3 months in both patients. The older patient was rehabilitated using a 1 kg mass, and the younger one with 0.5 kg mass, throughout the full range of active elbow motions. After 21 months it was found, in both cases, that the orthotic treatment had been successful and that the patients had been given the ability to engage in two-handed activities of daily living.

Temporary prosthetic fitting for below-knee amputation.

The problems encountered in fitting and using the permanent below-knee prosthesis in developing countries are the high price of the prosthesis, inadequate fitting and lack of proper rehabilitation. In Turkey, the preferred treatment of the stump post-operatively is by the soft dressing method with bandaging for maturation and shrinkage. Generally, the application of the permanent prosthesis is in the sixth month post-operatively. Since in patellar-tendon-bearing (PTB) sockets, stumps have to withstand high pressures in limited areas, the PTB socket can only tolerate small volume changes in the stump. For this reason bandaging over a long period may be insufficient for adequate stump shrinkage and amputees will need another below-knee prosthesis, which most of them cannot afford after only a few weeks use. In the authors' clinic, 19 amputees were fitted with simple, effective and inexpensive temporary prostheses following either conventional immediate post-operative dressing or the soft dressing method. The temporary prosthesis is worn for two months. It produces fast stump shrinkage, helps maturation and permits ambulatory discharge even in bilateral amputees. For economical reasons, only eight of nineteen patients were fitted with permanent prostheses, all wearing them successfully without the necessity of further rehabilitation.