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 four 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 - Thursday 9th May 2024 (2 pm - 4 pm) VIA ZOOM - Register here

 

Lightning Talks

As with previous events, we will run a short session of lightning talks (~3 mins plus a couple of minutes for questions). This is an opportunity for members of the SIG ULD&AA to quickly introduce their research or a case study they think would be of interest to the rest of the group. They are a really good way of learning to condense your work into a short elevator style pitch to gain people's interest and begin a longer conversation.  If you'd like to participate, please complete the short form here.

 

Membership

Membership of the group is open to all fully paid-up members of ISPO UK.  To join the SIG, please complete this short form. Members of the group will be expected to actively engage with the group's activities.

If you are not a member of ISPO UK, you may attend your 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.

PS: ISPO members please ensure your ISPO membership subs are up to date. If you haven't yet renewed, please take a moment to reactivate your membership account here.

 

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.