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Activity-Specific Prostheses for Children with an Upper Limb Difference

Amber Henson
by Amber Henson
Sep 17, 2024

Children are adaptable. Parents of children with limb differences often worry about how their babies are going to hit those milestones without all ten fingers, or without a hand. But children figure it out, either with or without a prosthesis.

Not all kids with upper limb difference wear a prosthesis, and this can be for a variety of reasons. The weight can be too much for them, the harness can be a hassle, or maybe they didn’t receive enough prosthetic training on how to use it. Regardless, there may come a day where they find they’d like to participate in an activity and there’s just no way to do it without a device — an activity-specific device.

We often receive inquiries from parents whose children are interested in a sport, hobby or activity they would like to try, and they want to explore what options are available to them.

All of these parents are coming to the right place because as upper limb prosthetic specialists with pediatric experience, each of our centers have worked with children and their families to fit kids with devices that will help them reach their goals.

Our Houston, TX center has a nine-year-old patient named Autumn, who loves gymnastics, tumbling, and riding bikes and scooters — and her activity-specific devices help her do all of these things:

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Autumn calls her prostheses her helper hands, and that’s just what they are. She has three devices currently: a single-motor myoelectric hand for tasks that require fine motor skills, but also for gripping tasks like jumping rope; a Swinger terminal device to allow her to climb, ride her scooter and her bike; and a Shroom Tumbler which comes in handy for gymnastics class and bridges on the grass:

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You can watch Autumn and see her devices in her patient profile video:

Riding a bike is about the number one activity-related inquiry we receive. Lots of parents have fond memories of riding their own bike as a child and want to be able to safely provide that opportunity to their kids. The Criterium Handlebar Adapter is an option that works for both children and adults.

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Congenital bilateral pediatric patient Jameson Davis rides his bicycle with his myoelectric prostheses
Amber Peterson profile

Amber, the girl pictured above, also has terminal devices that allowed her to play the violin, play hockey and do gymnastics. You can watch her do all those things in her patient profile video:

We also receive inquiries about children being able to hold bats, often right when they’re starting out with T-ball. Sometimes that can be done using myoelectric single-motor hands, like here with Jameson, who was born with an upper limb difference on both arms:

Jameson Davis playing t-ball in the park with his parents

When the bats and balls get a little heavier, it’s time for an activity-specific device that can take a little more abuse:

Amber also has a TRS Grand Slam activity-specific device to swing the bat at softball practice

Enrolling a child in a sport can help them boost their self-confidence, and for a kid with a limb difference who may be perceived by other kids as “not normal,” showing others and themselves what they’re capable of can be very helpful for their mental health.

Additionally, giving a child the opportunity to explore a prosthesis that allows them to participate in an activity that brings them joy may get them interested in trying an everyday prosthesis, even if they’ve had a negative prosthetic experience in the past. While we respect everyone’s choices when it comes to whether or not to wear a device, we do want to make sure that people with a limb difference and their families are aware of possible overuse injuries that can come with not wearing a device.

If you or someone you know is beginning to look for prosthetic care for their child, either for activities like those mentioned above or everyday tasks, please contact us. If you’d like to leave a comment, please do so below.

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