Year: 2025 | Month: January | Volume: 15 | Issue: 1 | Pages: 240-243
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20250131
Indigenous Low Maintenance Externally Powered Elbow Unit for a Transhumeral Amputee
Prakash Sahoo1, Shayantan Chowdhury2, Tanmaya Kumar Pany3, Dr Ameed Equebal4, Dr Lalit Narayan5
1Demonstrator, NILD, Kolkata, India
2Internee BPO, NILD, Kolkata, India
3Demonstrator, NILD, Kolkata, India
4Asst.Director (T) cum Asst. Prof, NILD, Kolkata, India
5Director, NILD, Kolkata, India
Corresponding Author: Prakash Sahoo
ABSTRACT
Transhumeral amputation often leads to a significant reduction in autonomy, impeding the ability to perform daily living, work, and social activities. While current prosthetic solutions have addressed this issue to some extent, limitations persist, particularly due to the high costs of upper-limb prosthetic components, which remain a significant barrier in low-income regions. One of the key challenges faced by transhumeral amputees is the selection of a prosthetic elbow joint that is both functional and affordable. Though there are electric elbow units available in the market, their high price makes them inaccessible to many, particularly in resource-constrained settings. This study aims to design and develop a low-maintenance, externally powered prosthetic elbow unit that is cost-effective for low-income populations. The proposed prosthesis is designed to facilitate Activities of Daily Living (ADL) by providing an affordable and functional alternative for transhumeral amputees. By addressing the need for an affordable prosthetic elbow, this study hopes to improve the quality of life and independence for individuals with transhumeral amputations in low-income regions.
Key words: Transhumeral amputation, prosthetic elbow, low-cost prosthesis, low-income countries, activities of daily living, externally powered elbow unit