Upper Extremity Prosthetics in Phoenix

What is Upper Extremity Prosthesis?

Upper extremity prosthesis is the partial or full substitution of an amputated or lost arm or hand due to accident, injury, illness, or defect. Prosthetic devices come in many forms and custom-tailored designs, depending on the scale required for the limb replacement.

How Do Prosthetics Work?

Prosthetic hands or arms typically imitate natural limbs by utilizing shafts and sockets to make them attachable to natural joints and sockets. Some prosthetics may only be cosmetic, some functional, and some can be both, depending on your particular needs.

Arm and Hand Amputation

An amputation is the surgical removal of a limb, including a finger, hand, or arm, usually as a result of a severe accident or to stop the spread of disease.

Limb loss is a tragic experience for patients, no matter your amputation level, and involves physical as well as emotional recovery.

Given the impact amputation has on your nerves, amputees may experience long-term physical symptoms such as cold sensitivity, odd sensations, phantom pain, and overall hypersensitivity.

Counseling and communication with fellow amputees is a great way to share the burden of your experience while working toward returning to a full and functional life.

Preparing for Amputation

Your pre-operation team should include a vetted prosthetist that you trust will make a seamless transition for your recovery. If not, resources should be readily available to you by your team so that you can decide afterward.

What are the Different Types of Arm Prosthetics?

The two common prosthetic arm replacements are transradial and transhumeral prostheses.

Transradial prosthetics are a replacement for your forearm that attaches below your elbow.

Transhumeral prosthetics are artificial arms that attach to your body above the elbow and below the shoulder.

Options for Prosthetic Arms, Hands, and Other Upper Extremities

There are different options for upper limb prosthetic solutions, depending on the level of your limb loss and what you hope to continue using your prosthetic limb for.

Passive Prosthesis

Typically resembling a finger, human hand, or arm, a passive prosthesis acts as an inactive stabilizer for restoring basic limb function (like carrying an object).

Body-Powered Prosthesis

Body powered devices allow you to control a prosthetic limb by moving another part of your body connected to it by harnesses and cables.

Electrically-Powered / Myoelectric Prosthesis 

Powered by motors and batteries, electric prosthetic limbs (myoelectric prostheses) can detect muscular movement, activating it for different functions.

How Does a Myoelectric Prosthetic Arm Work?

Electrodes are used to detect muscle movement in your residual limb, translating muscular signals into electrical signals, activating functions such as opening and closing an electrically-powered hand.

Hybrid Prosthesis

A cross between body-powered and electric-powered prosthetic technologies, hybrid prosthetics typically replace significant limb loss requiring more intricate technology, giving you a wider range of limb function than a solely body-powered or electric prosthetic.

Activity-Specific Prosthesis

Some prosthetic limbs are created for particular purposes that standard prosthetics cannot perform, including activities specific to sports, occupations, and hobbies.

Our Product List

Our orthotics and prosthetics are always up to date with state-of-the-art solutions in the industry and are customized to the needs and goals of each individual patient. 

Some of the products we used include:

• Utah Arm
• Dynamic Arm Elbow (Ottobock)
• Michelangelo Hand
• Bebionic Hand
• 117 Touchbio
• 394 Touchbio
• 446 Touchbio

What Your Process Will Look Like

Prosthetic limb services typically begin with a medical specialist called a prosthetist who studies, designs, and fits you with the proper prosthetic based on your needs and bodily measurements. It may take several weeks before a prosthetic is completely developed for use. You will go through a fitting process until the perfect placement is found for your prosthetic limb, which may require some frequent adjusting before completing the process.

Find Prosthetics Near Me.

At Pongratz, we offer prosthetic services fit for every patient, no matter your needs. We know very well the impact a lost limb has on anyone, no matter age or stage of life. We’re here for you every step of the way, so call us and let us help you get back to a fully functioning life!