Introduction: The upper limb is one of the most important parts of the body, as we do most of our daily tasks with it. It also helps us in non-verbal communication and movement. The main goal of upper extremity prosthetic care is to help the person regain as much lost function as possible with the prosthesis. About 80 % of people from less developed countries cannot afford prosthetic care, which is why more and more affordable prosthetic manufacturing systems are being developed recently. Additive technology, which also includes three-dimensional printing, is a production technique in which material is layered until a physical object is created. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to review the professional and scientific literature on the topic of three-dimensional printed upper limb prostheses and to present the advantages and disadvantages of these prostheses in upper limb prosthetics. Methods: A systematic review of the professional and scientific literature was performed. Literature published between 2011 and 2021 related to the use of three-dimensional printed prostheses for the upper limb was discussed. Results: After reviewing the literature, 11 studies were selected for further work. The main theme of the studies is to evaluate the functionality of three-dimensionally printed prostheses and their impact on upper extremity muscles. Discussion and conclusion: From the results, we learned that the advantage of three-dimensional printing is the low cost and shorter production time, and the main disadvantage is the poor grip and robotic appearance of the prosthesis. There are no regulations and clinical guidelines for open source models of three-dimensionally prostheses for selection and fabrication. Without proper knowledge of additive technology and prostheses, residual limb damage may occur, so we need to be careful when fabricating and fitting prostheses. We believe that such prostheses have potential, especially in countries where many cannot afford more expensive prosthetic care. Regardless of the various studies available, we see the need for further clinical studies to fully understand the functionality and quality of three-dimensionally printed prostheses compared to conventionally manufactured prostheses.
|
