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Myo Arm Opens New Vistas"I was scared at first, because I thought that I
would need surgery to use a myoelectric arm. It's really cool. I
can now do more things for myself, like holding a cup and pouring
myself a glass of water, and I am excited to go to college and
study sign language."
 This is how Melissa Reyes, 20, felt after being
fitted with a new myoelectric prosthesis. Melissa was just two
years old when the family car she was riding in was struck by a
military truck in Honduras. The accident left her paraplegic, and a
subsequent infection led to the amputation of her left arm above
the elbow. Despite disability, Melissa has done well in life and is
planning to enroll in Florida's Miami Dade Community College.
To help Melissa regain the most function possible, Otto Bock
HealthCare, Minneapolis, Minnesota, donated the components for her
prosthetic arm and myoelectric hand. Two local prosthetists--Jim
Fenton, CPO, Fenton Brace & Limb Co. Inc., and Dennis Henkel,
CPO, Miami Orthotics & Prosthetics--teamed up to donate their
time and expertise to fit the new prosthesis.
Tests were performed to pinpoint Melissa's most controllable arm
muscle signals, using the actual electrodes that are part of her
prosthesis. Placed in her key muscle contact positions, the
electrodes allow her to proportionally control her SensorHand",
opening and closing it, based on the task she is attempting. The
speed and grip force are controlled by the strength of her muscle
contractions. "Proportional Dynamic Mode Control makes Melissa's
hand one of the most versatile prosthetic hands in the world,"
notes Otto Bock.
Melissa also uses Otto Bock's custom cushion. The cushion is fit
with the Otto Bock Shape System (OBSS), which consists of software,
a special fitting bag, and an imaging stand that allows a therapist
to map out a model for a custom cushion. The 3-D model is e-mailed
to Otto Bock and the cushion is carved out.
Path to New Prosthesis
Melissa's OBSS custom wheelchair cushion started her on the path
to her new myoelectric prosthesis.
This type of cushion is usually used for people with severe
cerebral palsy and spinal deformities. However, Melissa is a small
person, and all her wheelchair cushions were far too wide for her
and didn't provide the lateral support she needed, explains Kathy
Weber, Otto Bock. In order to sit up straight, Melissa had to use
her residual limb to prop herself up, plus she was very
uncomfortable.
After being fit with her new cushion, Melissa could sit up
straight without using the limb and thus could begin to explore
options for her residual left arm. Serendipitously, Katy Schultz, a
doctor of physical therapy, had worked with Melissa before joining
Otto Bock as a sales representative. After coming aboard at Otto
Bock, Schultz realized what was available in upper-extremity
prostheses.
Course Is an Eye-Opener
Katy invited Melissa to a course conducted in the Orlando,
Florida, area by Otto Bock for physical and occupational
therapists. The course is designed to introduce therapists to
upper-extremity therapists. Patient models provide a chance to
learn "hands-on" therapy with real people.
Although Melissa had been leery of having a prosthetic
arm--since she thought surgery was involved--after the course, she
was excited about the prospect. Also, she had met two other
amputees during the course and learned from them.
Says Katy Schultz: "Melissa's excitement at being able to drive
her wheelchair and hold a soda at the same time&the look on her
face, her newfound confidence. It's been very rewarding watching
her discover her new abilities and increase her function and
independence one task at a time--even small tasks which we take for
granted. 
Table Of Contents - April 2004
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