What kind of prosthesis to choose at such an early age is an open question. Most often, the first children’s prosthetic hand is cosmetic. It is made of silicone or polyvinyl chloride, as these materials rarely cause allergies. At first, such a prosthesis is quite enough to create an adequate load on the muscles, and it can also be used to hold, for example, toys. Such cosmetic prostheses are quite widespread, and the production of reliable products by size has been established, so it is easy to choose a product. And it is inexpensive, which is important, since a children’s prosthetic hand will need to be changed quite often as the child grows.
The next level of children’s hand prostheses is- active traction protheses. Such products already allow you to make some types of grip, performing certain actions. The prosthetic hand, which is the most difficult to move, works by moving the wrist joint, if it has been preserved, or the elbow and even the shoulder joint. Muscle tension in these areas is transmitted through an intricate system of traction to the hand. Its main advantage is that the traction prosthesis already allows the child not to feel excluded from the team, as the child can play, do sports and even, with a certain skill, write and draw with it.
The earlier an active traction prosthesis is selected and fitted, the easier it is for the child to get used to it, so the optimal age for selection is 1-2 years, although it is, of course, never too late to do so.
Manufacturers even offer a special children’s design of traction prostheses and special attachments for them to facilitate everyday activities, such as holding cutlery, using a computer mouse and keyboard, and doing physical education. Children’s traction prostheses are common, as they do not imitate the palm of the hand, but are made in the manner of a claw, providing a secure grip on objects.
Another advantage of a traction prosthesis is the speed of reaction and the presence of a certain feedback – that is, it will be easy for a child to adapt to an artificial arm, as it allows him or her to “feel” objects to some extent, even if only hard ones. However, the compression force in such a prosthesis is weaker than in the new generation of bionic products.
Bionic prostheses work on a different principle. They read nerve impulses that the brain sends even to absent muscles using special myosensors. The signal is then interpreted and sent to servos that regulate the movement of the fingers and hand in general. Its advantage is that the prosthesis provides more subtle movements, including with the highest degrees of amputation – in the forearm area.
However, they also have disadvantages, the main one being a rather high cost. With it, the child will need a fairly long period of training before the prosthesis begins to perform its functions fully.
In addition, it does not allow swimming and requires periodic charging. In general, it is more appropriate to postpone the installation of a children’s bionic prosthesis for a later age.
