Impacts of robotic arm use on individuals with upper extremity disabilities: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND.: Robotic arms may help users perform various activities. Even though robotic arms are commercially available, their impacts are still poorly understood.

PURPOSE.: This scoping review aimed to identify the potential impacts of using robotic arms for individuals with upper-extremity disabilities and appraise the scientific quality of the selected studies.

METHOD.: A search for studies published between 1970 and 2016 was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Compendex, and Scopus. The Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement was used to classify activities in which impacts were evaluated. The quality of each study was rated using McMaster University's critical review form for quantitative studies.

FINDINGS.: Thirty-six studies were reviewed, which evaluated self-care (21), productivity (33), and leisure (8). The short-term impacts were more commonly documented than long-term impacts. The impacts identified were mostly positive. The studies' mean quality score was 8.8/15.

IMPLICATIONS.: Additional studies with more rigorous conditions are needed to produce higher-quality scientific evidence of the long-term impacts of robotic arm use.