title: Assessment of body-powered upper limb prostheses by able-bodied subjects, using the Box and Blocks Test and the Nine-Hole Peg Test.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The functional performance of currently available body-powered prostheses is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this study was to objectively assess and compare the functional performance of three commonly used body-powered upper limb terminal devices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 21 able-bodied subjects (n = 21, age = 22 ± 2) tested three different terminal devices: TRS voluntary closing Hook Grip 2S, Otto Bock voluntary opening hand and Hosmer Model 5XA hook, using a prosthesis simulator. All subjects used each terminal device nine times in two functional tests: the Nine-Hole Peg Test and the Box and Blocks Test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences were found between the different terminal devices and their scores on the Nine-Hole Peg Test and the Box and Blocks Test. The Hosmer hook scored best in both tests. The TRS Hook Grip 2S scored second best. The Otto Bock hand showed the lowest scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is a first step in the comparison of functional performances of body-powered prostheses. The data can be used as a reference value, to assess the performance of a terminal device or an amputee.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The measured scores enable the comparison of the performance of a prosthesis user and his or her terminal device relative to standard scores.
authors.affiliation: Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Haverkate
authors.affiliation: Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands g.smit@tudelft.nl.
authors.forename: Gerwin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Smit
authors.affiliation: Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dick H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Plettenburg
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001186:Artificial Limbs; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011474:Prosthesis Design / Q000379:methods*; D017755:Prosthesis Fitting; D012494:Sampling Studies; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Box and Blocks Test; Nine-Hole Peg Test; Upper limb prosthetics; assessment; body-powered prosthesis; functional testing; prosthesis simulator; terminal device