The loss of the hand can lead to a considerable reduction in personal and professional quality of life. Myoelectric prostheses can restore many of the prehensile patterns of the hand with the exception of tactile sensitivity. Additionally, phantom limb pain and neuromas pain affect many amputees, compromising their quality of life. Their treatment remains a challenge, and in most cases, is limited to symptomatic treatment. A new therapy combining a unique surgical approach, Targeted Sensory Reinnervation (TSR), and a non-invasive vibrotactile sensory feedback system has been developed. This method has dramatically reduced phantom limb pain and improved prosthesis functionality and embodiment, helping patients regain a more natural interaction with their environment.
Following TSR, the skin of the forearm is reinnervated, enabling these patients to draw a phantom limb map of all 5 fingers on the forearm. In addition, these patients can distinguish between hot and cold. The genuine feeling of touch can be restored when vibrotactile feedback is applied to the phantom hand. Sensors on the prosthetic hand record touch and transmit this information as vibrations to the reinnervated area of the residual limb.
In this symposium, we will present the TSR technique that allows sensations to be perceived precisely at the level of the residual limb and give insight to the impact of using non-invasive sensory feedback. The method and its applications are discussed from both reconstructive surgical and clinical perspectives, focusing on how TSR significantly improves quality of life and reduces pain, providing a holistic improvement for amputees.
Statement of the objective / learning objectives
Following this symposium, the attendees will understand the TSR surgical technique for the upper limb and will know different applications of sensory feedback for upper limb prostheses and their impact on patient’s daily life.
