Prostheses for Children with Unilateral Congenital Absence of the Hand

¹ From the Ontario Crippled Children's Centre, Toronto

The prosthetic wearing habits of seventy children with unilateral congenital absence of the hand were reviewed. These consisted of twenty-four children with acheiria, thirty-one with adactylia, and fifteen with aphalangia.

Four types of functional prostheses were used for these patients: the inactive spatula, the Dorrance hook, and the Dorrance hand. A cosmetic glove was prescribed for five children.

Thirty-nine of these children were wearing a prosthesis at the time of writing. Twenty-two were wearing it at all times, seventeen only for specific activities.

Thirty-one children rejected the prosthesis, nineteen primarily after one or two clinic visits, and twelve after having used it for periods of ten months to seven years.

The factors that were observed to influence a child's prosthetic wearing habits are described and the observations of the functions of children with and without a prosthesis are reported. We are of the opinion that surgical construction of an opposition post is not warranted for this deformity.

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