Studying Electromyographic Activity in Patients With Upper Limb Amputations

Studying Electromyographic Activity in Patients With Upper Limb Amputations

The primary purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which the Regenerative Peripheral Nerve Interface ( i.e. reinnervation of partial muscle grafts by residual peripheral nerves) enables both the generation of high-performance motor control signals for prosthetic limbs, and the input of sensory percepts by electrical stimulation.

Inclusion criteria:

• For the prosthetic control graft arm:

  • Must have previously undergone upper limb amputation
  • Must be otherwise healthy (e.g. no severe pain syndromes or untreated mental health disorders)
  • Must be American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Class I (low surgical risk)
  • Must have sufficient soft tissue quality to support performance of the operative procedures
  • Must have NOT previously received the partial muscle graft surgery

• For the neuroma graft arm:

  • Must have previously undergone upper limb amputation
  • Must be otherwise healthy (e.g. no severe pain syndromes or untreated mental health disorders)
  • Must have previously received the partial muscle graft surgery

• For the able-bodied arm:

  • Must have NOT undergone upper limb amputation
  • Must be in good health

Exclusion criteria:

• For the prosthetic control graft arm:

  • Participants sustaining severe crushing or avulsion injuries with substantial superficial and deep scarring, may not be appropriate candidates for inclusion in the study

• For the able-bodied arm:

  • Participants with a history of nerve pain may not be appropriate candidates for inclusion in the study