Patterns of use of a myoelectric prosthesis in a cohort of children with transverse defects below the level of the elbow

Background:Myoelectric prostheses have become the accepted standard of care for pediatric upper-limb amputees.Objectives:To describe the clinical characteristics and patterns of prosthesis use and to analyze the changes that occur during the growth process of these patients.Study design:This is a longitudinal retrospective study comparing the results of surveys carried out in 2015 and 2022.Methods:The variables measured included clinical and demographic characteristics, patterns of use, and satisfaction with the prosthesis.Results:Twenty-one patients with transverse defects were fitted with myoelectric prostheses. With increasing age, there was a statistically nonsignificant decrease in the duration of use and a decrease in the number of patients using the prosthesis for activities of daily living from 13 to 10 (p = 0.045), with a 28% dropout rate, higher in patients with more distal defects.Conclusions:Since 2015, we have observed a decrease in the number of hours of prosthesis use, while maintaining a high percentage of patients using the prosthesis.