When an amputation occurs, whether it’s a traumatic injury or a planned surgery, one of the consequences can be a sensitive residual limb. That is to say, the remaining part of the finger, hand, forearm or upper arm can be painful when touched or bumped. This is one of the reasons why we recommend a prosthesis to people following an amputation not just for the functionality and looks, but for the protection that a prosthetic device can offer.

Protection can happen one of two ways: either by the prosthetic device itself or by a hand protector. Let’s take a look at a hand protector:

Green Silicone Protector

This is Mike’s hand. Because of Mike’s partial hand amputation, his residual palm is sensitive to touch and to bumps that might occur during a regular day. With Mike’s three remaining fingers, he’s still able to do many things so he doesn’t always feel the need to wear his regular prosthesis with passive positional fingers. Mike does wear his prosthesis when he bowls though:

Now let’s take a look at someone who told us about how their prosthetic device helps them protect their residual hand. Our patient Lynda (whose prosthesis is pictured below) had an accident that resulted in a traumatic injury to her right hand. It took nearly two years for her to heal enough to feel comfortable getting a prothesis. When we spoke with her, Lynda had only had her prosthesis for about a week. But wearing it did have an unexpected benefit. “One major thing that has changed since I started wearing my prosthesis ... I’m around large animals on the farm, and I was cautious when near them because my affected hand felt so vulnerable to injury. Without the prosthesis, I didn’t have the confidence to protect my personal space. With the prosthesis, the sensitive, nervy areas in my residual hand are protected. Now I can use it around larger animals including my dogs. I have a smallish dog and a 110 lb. puppy. When they’re getting too rowdy, I can put my prosthetic hand down between them.”

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In addition to Lynda's prosthesis, she wears a finger protector. We create many of those as well, like those show below:

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Finger protector

Another way that the prosthesis can offer protection to a residual limb is via the socket especially when it’s a silicone socket, which is what our Arm Dynamics prosthetists and technicians specialize in. Silicone can not only pad areas that need more protection, but the material also mimics the properties of human skin, so it can be beneficial for burns or scars. In fact, it’s healing properties can promote the growth of new skin. Our patient Joe (who was a firefighter and is pictured below) was burned and suffered amputations. "I don't have a lot of fatty tissue on my hands and the silicone provides some additional cushioning and comfort in those bony areas."

Joe at Fire Station

The main goal of the team at each Arm Dynamics center is to get the patient where they want to be. Some patients have one goal, like get back to fishing. Others have multiple goals, like wearing a functioning prosthesis and protecting their residual limb. We work on each of those goals using our experience as upper limb specialists, and we also help the patient learn how to don and use their prosthetic device, not to mention how to prevent overuse injuries.

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about protective or prosthetic options, please contact us. If you would like to leave a comment regarding this article, please do so below.

 

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