Development Toward A Controllable Orthotic System For Restoring Useful Arm and Hand Actions

Cumulat ively over recent years an increas ing number o f patients are surv iv ing with extensive paralysis w h i c h inc ludes loss o f hand and a r m movements in both upper extremities. Th is situation occurs in persons with h igh cervical c o r d lesions ( C 5 , C-6) w h o have survived traumatic injury with quadr ip legia . as well as in pe r sons with severe po l iomyel i t i s residuals, those with central nervous system degenera t ion , d isorders of the spinal mo to r system, and persons with myopa th ies . A m o n g these, a large number are wheel chair hound fo r life, and they present diverse patterns of bilateral muscular weaknesses and paralysis o f the upper extremities. These patients are a unique chal lenge to the c o m b i n e d efforts o f physic ians , orthotists, and other specialties to restore useful funct ions through appl icat ion o f suitable assistive mechanical devices . The fact that this chal lenge exists and that efforts to meet it are delini|uent was r ecogn ized and descr ibed in the repor t of the 1962 Conference on Orthotics Research and Development issued by the Nat ional A c a d e m y o f Sc i ences . 1 Upper extremity or thot ics requires intensive development through mult iple research and varied s tudy approaches , if we are to meet eventually the great variety o f needs encountered a m o n g these types of patients.