Combined Utilization of Fabric Prosthetic Socket Design and Pattern Recognition Control in Shoulder Disarticulation Prostheses

Weight, comfort, and control complexity have all been indicated in reason for abandonment of a myoelectric prosthesis (Biddiss, 2007). At the shoulder disarticulation level, traditional two site myoelectric control can be utilized to control the prosthetic components of the shoulder, elbow, wrist, and hand. However, this relies on a sequential control strategy where the patient must toggle control between each of the components in the system. This becomes quite mentally exhausting. In the shoulder disarticulation patient population, it is not uncommon to have significant trauma to the brachial plexus. This trauma can make finding two isolated myosites for traditional control challenging. Depending on the extent of the injury to the brachial plexus and other comorbidities, the patient may not be a candidate for targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) to establish strong distinct myosites.