If you have lost one or more fingers or part of your hand, you might wish to be fitted with a prosthesis. Options are available that can restore the cosmetic appearance of your hand and also return some function. Generally a hand prosthesis is made from silicone rubber; they are custom-made and are shaped and coloured to match your own anatomy and skin-tone as closely as possible.
To make a partial-hand or finger prosthesis, we start by taking a mould of your residual hand using a plaster-of-Paris bandage. We will also take a mould of your other hand with dental alginate to capture the exact shape of the hand, allowing the technicians to copy muscle definition, blood vessels, skin creases and even hair. We will also take photographs, measurements and select the colours that will be used to make the prosthesis. This ensures we have as much information as possible to make the prosthesis fit well and be cosmetically accurate.
There are artificial fingers available that will flex when you bend either your residual amputated finger (or the adjacent finger if you have lost an entire finger). Although, these are not as strong or as dextrous as a full finger, they do give a great deal of function and look very life-like as well. With practise, these artificial fingers will allow you to type, make gestures, pick up small objects and perform a range of other tasks. For those that have only lost a small part of a finger, you may wish to have a fully cosmetic prosthesis, or you may simply wish to have a protective cover (or ‘thimble’), especially if the end is very sensitive.
If you have lost all your fingers or most of your hand, but still have some movement at the wrist, you may require a prosthesis that extends further up the forearm. We can produce an articulated prosthesis that has fingers that flex as you bend your wrist.
If you would prefer not to be fitted with a prosthesis, other options are available.
For more information on finger or partial-hand prostheses, or if you would like to make an appointment with a member of our clinical, prosthetic team, please call APOS on 091 796983.