A Ratcheting Prosthetic Digit for Children with Partial Hand Differences

A Ratcheting Prosthetic Digit for Children with Partial Hand Differences (AT016-4B)

Children with partial hand differences are those with congenital limb differences of the hand or amputation of the bones distal to the wrist joint. In the United States, approximately 1,500 babies are born each year with a partial hand anomaly. These anomalies can occur with ipsilateral shortening of the forearm and underdeveloped vestigial digits. Digit amputation is more commonly treated with a prosthetic device since the child has not matured with a limb difference. The prosthetics profession refers to both of these types of differences as minor, but they can be severely disabling, especially if the amputation involves the thumb or multiple digits.