Prosthesis users link practical comfort with confidence and participation
A review of user perspectives found that comfort, control and reliability were intertwined with how people felt about and used upper-limb prostheses.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Users described functional and emotional needs as closely connected: a device's comfort, weight, control and reliability mattered alongside confidence, social participation and acceptance. Technological advances did not consistently match these needs. The review identifies priorities for understanding user experience, but it does not test whether a particular design prevents device abandonment.
The review searched a single named database. This abstract-based summary cannot assess how representative the included accounts were or whether the proposed design guidance improves long-term use.
Function and experience overlap
Comfort, weight and ease of control appeared alongside confidence and social participation in users' accounts. The review treats these as connected aspects of experience, without identifying a single feature that determines acceptance.
Guidance needs testing
The authors translated reported needs into design-oriented guidance. That gives developers questions to investigate, while leaving open whether devices built around those principles will improve satisfaction, sustained use or everyday quality of life.
The original publication
Redefining Prosthetic Needs: Insights from Individuals with Upper Limb Loss-A Systematic Review.
Caldas A, Matos D, de Eyto A et al.
Sensors (Basel) · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41600539
- Record checked
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