A significant part of what we do here at FirstCare Orthopaedics involves fitting customers with the right prostheses and determining how best to support their quality of life and capability after partial loss of an upper limb.

The transradial prosthesis is a major tool in this process. Various types of transradial prostheses help amputees to recover a lot of the range of motion, function, and lifestyle that they would otherwise have lost after an accident or injury.

Evaluating the Need for a Transradial Prosthesis

The radius in the forearm is often affected by transradial amputation, where the patient retains the elbow and upper arm but has lost a hand and part of the forearm.

There are medical evaluations to be done on the limb to determine how best to support the remaining portion with the prosthesis. A care plan has to factor in what will best help the patient to recover after one of these injuries, in recuperation and beyond. 

Consultation on Types of Transradial Prosthesis

This is a vital part of talking to an amputee about prosthetics.

Essentially, transradial prostheses have come a long way in the past couple of decades.

For the several hundred years that prosthesis has been a part of the medical catalog, the cosmetic prosthesis has been the norm. A cosmetic prosthesis is just that – an inert prosthetic piece made of wood or metal or some other material that fills in the extremity of the limb to make it look normal.

However, two other types of transradial prostheses are now also common. The first one is called a body-powered prosthesis. It typically uses mechanical builds to allow things like the opening and closing of prosthetic fingers. In many cases, the amputee can get very capable over time at using this prosthesis to grasp objects and possibly even accomplish higher-level functions.

In the age of bionics and biometrics, there’s also the myoelectric prosthesis. Here, the prosthesis connects to arm muscles through electrodes, so that it imitates your body’s process of sending commands to the live hand and operates the prosthetic piece accordingly.

Benefits and Disadvantages

The key is to have qualified medical professionals talk to you about your choices and what’s best for your care plan. We can help show you your options and explain how prosthetics work because that’s what we do. Ask us about your need for a transradial prosthesis, and we will work to achieve the customized, personalized solution that you need