Bioengineering (Nov 2023)

A Review on the Usability, Flexibility, Affinity, and Affordability of Virtual Technology for Rehabilitation Training of Upper Limb Amputees

  • Xiangyu Liu,
  • Di Zhang,
  • Ke Miao,
  • Yao Guo,
  • Xinyu Jiang,
  • Xi Zhang,
  • Fumin Jia,
  • Hao Tang,
  • Chenyun Dai

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering10111301
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 11
p. 1301

Abstract

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(1) Background: Prosthetic rehabilitation is essential for upper limb amputees to regain their ability to work. However, the abandonment rate of prosthetics is higher than 50% due to the high cost of rehabilitation. Virtual technology shows potential for improving the availability and cost-effectiveness of prosthetic rehabilitation. This article systematically reviews the application of virtual technology for the prosthetic rehabilitation of upper limb amputees. (2) Methods: We followed PRISMA review guidance, STROBE, and CASP to evaluate the included articles. Finally, 17 articles were screened from 22,609 articles. (3) Results: This study reviews the possible benefits of using virtual technology from four aspects: usability, flexibility, psychological affinity, and long-term affordability. Three significant challenges are also discussed: realism, closed-loop control, and multi-modality integration. (4) Conclusions: Virtual technology allows for flexible and configurable control rehabilitation, both during hospital admissions and after discharge, at a relatively low cost. The technology shows promise in addressing the critical barrier of current prosthetic training issues, potentially improving the practical availability of prosthesis techniques for upper limb amputees.

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