SIG: Upper Limb Difference & Acquired Amputation

There has been particular interest in the treatment, rehabilitation and provision for individuals with upper limb acquired amputation and upper limb differences. This is a specialist area and practitioners working across disciplines may treat relatively few patients at a given centre or have limited opportunity to exchange knowledge with fellow professionals. Treatment modalities and product design progresses at a rapid pace including hand transplantation, osseointegration and neuromuscular control systems. Conversely, the use of ‘mechanical’ prostheses utilising a traditional terminal device and appendage system is, anecdotally, less prominent and the skillset required less accessible.

This group is chaired by ISPO UK Exec Members Morven McAlinden ( Academy Clinician - Prosthetics - Otto Bock Healthcare PLC) and Dr Alix Chadwell, (Research Fellow, University of Southampton). The group aims to meet three times per year.   We welcome all suggestions and ideas from members of the group for agenda items, including topics or themes for discussion.   Please contact us at any time with your thoughts and comments, so that we can plan our agendas and meetings ahead of time.

 

Next Meeting - Wednesday 21 May 2025 (2 pm - 4 pm) VIA ZOOM 

Register here

Agenda  

Invited/Guest Presentations - - Our first confirmed speaker is Dawn Henderson, Product Manager at Steeper Group.  Dawn will provide a summary of the Espire elbow and the Taska hand.

We have capacity for one or two more presentations....   Do you have a new initiative at work, or feedback to share on current practices within your organisation which you think would be of interest to others?   Or ready to promote your latest product or research? Please e-mail us with some details or a short introduction and one of the team will get back to you.   

Lightning Talks - are an opportunity to give a short 5-10 minute presentation (with one or two slides), introducing some research or a case study you are working on or perhaps have recently completed.   It’s also an opportunity to introduce yourself to the group if you’re newbie to the UL fraternity or have recently moved to a new post or organisation.  To book your slot at the next meeting, simply complete this short form with outline info, and we’ll get back to you to confirm.

News from ISPO International Special Interest Groups - SIGUL and SIGBAL - both groups open to fully paid up ISPO members - simply complete the online joining form (see links on individual webpages).

Feedback on the recent TIPS2025 in Rotterdam and latest updates on the upcoming ISPO 20th World Congress which takes place in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2025 and the ISPO UK Annual Scientific Meeting which is planned for September 2025.

We’re always open to new ideas and thoughts on how we might best use our time together during these group events.  So, do please share with us any suggestions, questions or contributions you may have and we’ll do our best to facilitiate within the time available.

 

Membership

Membership of the group is open to all fully paid-up members of ISPO UK.  We politely ask all those who regularly attend our SIG meetings to please ensure that you do renew your membership for 2025.  If you are in any doubt about your membership just drop us a quick e-mail and we can work through the process.

New members to ISPO who now wish to join the SIG, please complete this short form.  As a member of the group you will be expected to actively engage with the group’s activities.

Non-members of ISPO may attend their first meeting for free. Thereafter to attend any further meetings of the group and/or to gain access to the networking platform (see below), we would ask you to join ISPO and complete a short form.

 

Networking

We also have a SLACK networking platform for communication outside of core group meetings and for the purpose of working together to address challenges (eg. developing new sets of upper-limb rehabilitation guidelines for people with limb difference/amputation). All ISPO members who have formally joined the SIG should have received an invitation to join the Group (if you haven’t, please contact us so that we may arrange to send the appropriate link).

 

If you have any questions, or require additional information, please contact us.