Prosthetic Finger that Flexes and Extends

Prosthetic Finger is Even More Lifelike Now!

Prosthetic Finger Restores Amputated Middle Finger

We would like to share an update on our unique prosthetic finger. This past week our patient, from Florida took ownership of his new flexing prosthetic finger. Glen had an amputation accident years ago that left only about 3/4” of his middle finger. Glen shared that the amputation has been difficult to get beyond, because the absence of the middle finger creates a gap that is so noticeable when he extends his hand to wave or to shake someone’s hand.

To appreciate what this would be like, try putting your hand on your thigh and then flexing your middle finger so it’s completely hidden under the palm of your hand. The big gap left between your index finger and ring finger is quite noticeable. As Glen’s job interactions as a manager have increased, so has the stress associated with having a significant hand difference, especially when it comes to raising the hand to wave or shaking the hand of a new client. Hand amputees tend to develop a guarded use of the affected hand.

Medical Art Prosthetics Addresses the Challenge of a Short Residual Finger after Amputation

For anaplastologists and prosthetists this short residual finger length makes it virtually impossible to securely attach a conventional silicone prosthetic finger by relying on suction suspension alone. We could select from different prosthetic adhesives to augment the attachment, but adhesives tend to be messy and detrimental to the prosthesis over time. Also, reliance on adhesives poses a risk since perspiration and hand movements will slowly loosen the attachment. The worst-case scenario is the prosthetic finger falling off unexpectedly at an inopportune moment. Glen, good-naturedly joked about this, but it’s a very real and understandable concern.

The Dangling Finger Prosthesis Problem

That’s right. When most full-length prosthetic fingers are slid into place on the short residual finger they just hang there. These conventional prostheses still represent the standard of care and they do restore passive function when typing on a keyboard and holding or stabilizing lightweight objects, because they provide opposition with the remaining digits.

But the sense of a dangling prosthesis is more pronounced when the residual finger is so short. In addition the argument that it is restoring the body with meaningful function is harder to make when attempting to have the device covered by insurance companies.

A Lifelike Prosthetic Finger that Functions Naturally Too

So, an advanced more complex design was developed for Glen. In addition to suction fit, his prosthesis was engineered with special silicones, passive articular action at the joint, and his middle finger prosthesis was integrated with his normal hand functioning.

This prosthetic finger design provides Glen with a secure attachment, a natural flesh-like feel, and a fully restored anatomical appearance. The new feature for us is the unique body-driven prosthetic action that flexes and extends the prosthetic finger right along with the adjacent index and ring fingers. See the finger prosthesis in action below.

This anthropomorphic prosthetic finger will continue to be developed by Medical Art Prosthetics, LLC, and potentially further enhanced by the bright minds of biomedical engineering students at the University of Wisconsin. We continue to sponsor special research projects which help introduce BME students to real world prosthetics related design challenges while hoping that their engineering minds might reveal advanced processes we have not been exposed to in our anaplastology practices.  See the UWBME Student Design Consortium team here.

 

No More Gap after the Middle Finger Amputation

We are hopeful Glen will now become comfortable using his new prosthetic finger in his business meetings, presentations, and for any social engagement he feels like slipping it on. We shook hands and his grip felt normal, because the prosthetic finger was there to fill the space between his index and ring fingers. It looked perfectly natural too as he waved goodbye. See more prosthetic fingers here.