Implications of EMG channel count: enhancing pattern recognition online prosthetic testing.

Only ten people were tested, including four transradial users, so the findings are preliminary. Only two transradial participants completed physical prosthesis testing; two could not because the study device caused fatigue, so physical prosthesis findings cannot be generalised. The study required a residual limb long enough for 33 electrode contacts, so it does not show what happens for shorter residual limbs or when electrode contacts must be shared. The 8-channel condition used clinically selected bands rather than an optimally chosen 8-channel set, so it may underestimate the best possible 8-channel system. The no limb absence and transradial groups used different electrodes, sockets, trained movements, and target tolerances, so their results are not directly comparable. Failure rate improved numerically but did not reach significance, so not every control measure improved.

Funding came from NIH R01 HD094861, DoD W81XWH2210431, discretionary laboratory funding, and NIDILRR 90REGE0003; the authors declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication.

Do not conclude that increasing EMG channels from 8 to 16 will improve prosthetic control for all transradial users. Only four transradial participants were tested, only two completed physical prosthesis testing, failure rates were not significantly different, and the study required a residual limb long enough for 33 electrodes.