In cold climates during the winter season, the road conditions deteriorate due to snowfall, causing pedestrians to fall over. This could lead to unexpected injury even if it is a single fall accident. Therefore, we have developed a shoe-type road surface identification device, considering that if we could mechanically determine the frozen road conditions, we could reduce the number of fall accidents. In this study, we reproduced the road surface of winter and tried to obtain a discriminant index. Healthy adults were targeted as subjects. Measured items included the amount of reflected light (This is the wavelength range that is easily absorbed by ice and water) and the temperature of road surface. As a result of having acquired light quantity and temperature in the swing phase using this device, a significant difference was found between dry and wet road surfaces. This suggested that the light quantity and the road surface temperature data might be suitable for road surface detection. In conclusion, this device might be useful to detect actual winter road surfaces.

We surveyed occupational therapists (OTs) and prosthetists (POs) in Okayama Prefecture regarding the actual condition of early hand prosthesis fitting for finger amputees and partial hand amputees. As a result, twenty-four OTs (8.9% of all respondents) had provided training before prosthesis fitting. Five OTs and one PO had experience of making temporary hand prostheses. Seven OTs (2.6%) and five POs (100%) had been involved in prosthesis creation. In the free response, the roles of the prosthesis were, in order, improvement of appearance, improvement of hand function, and improvement of ADL. Our interview survey suggested the effectiveness of temporary hand prostheses for finger amputees and partial hand amputees.

Myoelectric prosthesis is a useful tool for congenital upper limb deficient children in terms of expanding their activity and participation. However, very few children use myoelectric prostheses in Japan. The lack of both a proper public provision system and a training manual for myoelectric prostheses for children would the reasons for the current status. Hyogo Rehabilitation Center introduced a framework in 2002 to allow children to undergo training and fitting with a myoelectric prosthesis at any time. We have trained more than 70 children with upper limb deficiency. Here, we investigated the children who have been provided myoelectric hands as permanent prostheses.

We designed a modified spider splint for single-case chronic stroke patients with plegic hands. Its purpose was to cover the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb and form a C arch between the thumb and index finger. One case using this orthosis underwent a repetitive training task oriented with virtual feedback. The result was improved grasp, grip and performance of the paretic hand. It promoted participation of the paretic hand in life. The modified spider splint performed in a functional position due to traction palmer abduction and radial abduction. The result was to improve grasp and grip function for grooming and participating in the patient’s occupation.

A questionnaire survey was conducted nationwide on the ankle foot orthosis (AFO) prescribed for the first time after the onset of stroke. We analyzed the data from the 109 hospitals who responded among the 410 hospitals with recovery rehabilitation wards throughout the country. In descending order the five were Shoe-horn AFO, Conventional AFO, ORTOP AFO, Tamarack or Gillette joint AFO, and GateSolution, and these top five orthoses represented more than 80% of the total. The average number of AFOs prescribed at one hospital was 4.7. In addition, the AFO part of the knee ankle foot orthosis for more than 70% was a conventional AFO. It is desirable to conduct a nationwide survey on a large scale, systematically and regularly, while devising measures to increase the effective response rate.