In the rehabilitation of upper limb amputees, it is necessary to improve QOL through support of activity and participation. In this article, we introduced the patients with upper limb amputation who have reached social participation by training based on the results of COPM and AMPS. The change in AMPS score suggested that using the prosthetic hand improves the quality of ADL performance. Based on the patient’/s physical function and necessary activities, making a choice of the appropriate type of prosthetic hand and helping to learn how to use prosthetic hands more effectively leads to social participation.

Prosthetic knee joint motion in swing phase is highly dependent on functions of swing phase control devices. The devices are designed in order to follow up changes in gait patterns such as different cadence and step length. Knee joints with a fluid swing control device are commonly prescribed due to high followability to various walking speeds; however, they tend to be complicated and expensive. This research is aimed to develop a simple and cost-effective prosthetic knee join which has improved walking speed followability. Gait analysis was conducted to evaluate a prototype. The gait analysis shows less variation of the range of motion and moment of hip joint with the prototype over different measured walking speeds compared to a fluid swing phase control device. The study shows no significant difference in walking speed followability between the prototype and fluid-controlled knee joints.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of PSB by analyzing the muscle activity of the shoulder joint muscle before and after PSB attachment using a surface electromyogram for the early case of mirror back shoulder cuff repair. The subjects were nine cases and nine shoulders after active exercise started for a fixed period of time after surgery. The exercise task was set as two conditions for the flexion movement of the shoulder joint on the table, without PSB attachment and with it. Measured muscles were the upper trapezius, anterior deltoid, infraspinatus, and biceps brachii. For the analysis, an average value of integral values of each line was calculated and statistical processing was performed. The results showed that the muscle activity of the upper trapezius and biceps brachii was significantly decreased by PSB use, and pain during exercise was relieved. PSB may be useful as an upper limb function training device early after shoulder cuff repair surgery.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the fluctuation of the shear force applied to the buttocks and the timing just before sliding the trunk upward on the back-support, during upward back-support inclination. The participants included 16 healthy persons. A force plate was used to measure the shear force. The inclination angle of back-support just before sliding the trunk was measured based on the videos taken during the experiment. The experiment was conducted under three conditions: the buttocks were positioned at distances of 3 cm, 6 cm, and 9 cm from the back-support in order to investigate the influence of the buttocks’ position. The results revealed that the shear force just before sliding the trunk on the back-support was maximum during upward back-support inclination under all conditions. The inclination angle of the back-support at that time was approximately 26° from the vertical line as the middle range of the back-support inclination under all conditions. This result suggested that even if the buttocks are at different positions, and if the angle just before sliding the trunk upward on the back-support is the same, the fluctuation of the shear force applied to the buttocks is equal.

Patients who use knee ankle foot orthosis often have severe motor paralysis and frequently have difficulties in swinging the lower limbs. However, when using the conventional loop type assist band, only the suspension force for lifting the lower limbs can be utilized during walking assistance, and it is difficult to provide support for achieving an ideal swing. Therefore, we developed an assist lever that can assist walking efficiently. Using the assist lever allows prolongation of the stance phase on the paralytic side and reduction of circumduction gait during the swing phase. Moreover, the result of analysis using video showed differences compared with the conventional product.

We report a case of large bursitis in the lower end of the stump after below-knee amputation. It is the case of a 48-year-old man who has diabetes mellitus. He had undergone a below-knee amputation for gas gangrene. After he got the first below-knee prosthesis, when he did an outpatient visit at regular intervals, a large mass had formed on tibial end of his stump. As a result of various examination, we diagnosed the mass as adventitious bursitis. We tried to treat the bursitis with the aspiration of the bursa and reforming the prosthetic socket repeatedly. We eventually treated the bursitis with the aspiration of the bursa, making another new socket and additionally modifying the socket. At the early stage after limb amputation, the shape of the stump is easy to change. The main reason for the occurrence of adventitious bursitis is incompatibility between the stump and the prosthetic socket. It is important that lower-limb amputees wear their prostheses in the good fitting.