Demystifying upper limb hybrid prostheses-a scoping review.
Sam Walters, Elena Seminati, Benjamin Metcalfe and 2 others
PMID 41334287WHAT IT FOUND
Hybrid prostheses combining body-powered and electric parts are rarely studied.
Clinicians prescribe them when patients struggle with single-class devices, but the evidence is too thin to guide standard practice. Decisions rely on individual clinician experience rather than proven outcomes.
Key findings
01Hybrid-power prostheses are not commercially manufactured but are assembled by clinicians from stocked components.
02Prescription rates for hybrid devices are unclear due to lack of documentation, with one estimate suggesting 20% for above-elbow amputees.
03There are no existing academic sources that thoroughly discuss the benefits and use-cases of hybrid-power prostheses.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The search required the explicit term 'hybrid', potentially missing relevant older studies or those using different terminology. Data extraction was performed by only one researcher, introducing potential bias. Most included studies were case reports or design proposals with small sample sizes and no control groups. Outcome measures varied widely between studies, making direct comparison or meta-analysis impossible. Non-English papers were excluded, limiting the scope of available evidence.
Declared interests
All funding for this project was provided by the University of Bath Alumni Fund.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume hybrid prostheses are a proven alternative to standard body-powered or myoelectric devices. The review found only thirteen studies, mostly case reports, with insufficient evidence to support clinical guidelines or predict functional outcomes.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →