Benefits of the Cybathlon 2020 experience for a prosthetic hand user: a case study on the Hannes system.
Giulia Caserta, Nicolò Boccardo, Marco Freddolini and 8 others
PMID 35787721WHAT IT FOUND
One amputee trained for a prosthetic race improved more in function and embodiment than another who only used the device at home.
The racing pilot felt the hand was more part of his body, while the home-use pilot’s balance worsened.
Key findings
01The pilot who trained for the Cybathlon race showed greater improvement in functional dexterity and perceived usability than the pilot who only used the prosthesis at home.
02Objective measures of body integration (postural balance) improved for the race-trained pilot but worsened for the home-use-only pilot.
03The race-trained pilot’s usage of the prosthesis in daily activities increased significantly, exceeding the minimal detectable change, while the home-use pilot’s change was smaller.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included only two participants, so the differences cannot be generalized. The pilots were not randomly assigned; Pilot 1 chose or was selected for training, introducing potential selection bias. Follow-up was short (seven weeks), so long-term effects are unknown. The outcome measures for embodiment (postural sway) are indirect and may not fully capture the subjective experience of having the device as part of the body.
Declared interests
The authors are affiliated with the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, which developed the Hannes prosthesis. The study was supported by non-US government funds.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that competitive racing causes better prosthetic outcomes. The improvement in Pilot 1 could be due to increased practice time, motivation, or selection bias, and the results from two individuals cannot prove efficacy.