Title: An insight into phantom sensation and the application of ultrasound imaging to the study of gesture motions for transhumeral prosthesis

Authors: Ejay Nsugbe; Carol Phillips

Addresses: Nsugbe Research Labs, SN1 3LG, Swindon, UK ' Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Bristol, NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK

Abstract: Transhumeral amputees account for the largest cohort of upper-limb amputees missing a substantial amount of their upper-limb, as per combined statistics with the UK and Italy. In this work, we utilise the human motor control theory, and Penfield homunculus as a basis for providing a review and school of thought behind phantom limb sensations, pain and associated therapy. Clinical work was also conducted on five non-amputated individuals using ultrasound imaging along the humerus while participants were instructed to produce a number of hand movements. This set of results has thus suggested that mainly compound gesture motions, which involve a degree of bulk muscular recruitment, can be detected along the humerus. It is foreseen that this set of gestures can be used to explore mobility and sensation of phantom limbs by clinical rehabilitation prosthetists.

Keywords: upper-limb prosthesis; transhumeral amputee; ultrasound imaging; phantom sensation; homunculus; cybernetics; human motor control; myoelectric prosthesis; medical physics; phantom limb.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2023.129818

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2023 Vol.41 No.3, pp.258 - 271

Received: 21 Dec 2020
Accepted: 26 Apr 2021
Published online: 31 Mar 2023 *

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