Preliminary assessment of three new designs of prosthetic prehensors for upper limb amputees.

At present, upper-limb amputees have a basic choice of a hook or a hand for the prosthetic prehensor. In the USA about two-thirds of upper-limb amputees wear hooks and about one-third wear hands. Either of these options represents a compromise. The hook is more functional and the hand is more cosmetic. Some amputees solve the dilemma by having one of each and interchanging them as work and social situations dictate. However, they would prefer to have one acceptable prehensor, and they want one which is functional, is attractive, and does not necessarily have to look like a hand. In an attempt to meet the desires of upper-limb amputees, three prosthetic prehensors or "terminal devices" have been designed and developed into models. This article describes the preliminary assessment of these new designs.