Evaluation the willingness of the upper limb amputee to use their prostheses while undertaking various daily activities

The performance of the upper limb amputees is significantly reduced in contrast to that of normal subjects. In order to compensate the functional limitation of the amputees various kinds of prostheses have been designed and developed, which are divided in to mechanical, cosmetic and myoelectric ones based on their functional abilities. Unfortunately, most of the upper limb amputees prefer to not use any prostheses or only use the cosmetic ones. The aim of this research is to find the association between the type of prostheses, the level of amputation with the acceptance rate of the prostheses. 76 upper limb amputees were recruited in this research study. They have been referred to Rehabilitation centers in Isfahan, Tehran and Shiraz cities. The acceptance rate of the upper limb prostheses was evaluated by use of a questioner which has been developed in this regards. the results of this research study showed that the correlation between the level of amputation, type and the acceptance rate of the upper limb prostheses is not significant. Moreover, the amputees at wrist and above elbow levels do not have too much interest to use their prostheses. it has been concluded that the willingness of the upper limb amputees to use their prostheses can be increased by improving the cosmesis and the functional abilities of the artificial limbs. Moreover, it is recommended to manufacture the prostheses from the lighter materials.