The next Doctoral Research Seminar will be on "Everyday impairments caused by the loss of a finger phalanx and remedies with a newly developed 3D printed finger prosthesis" by Kathrin Schmalzl, Aesthetics - TUM Junge Akademie.

Although research has shown that partial hand amputation is relatively common in amputations, the research literature in this area is relatively sparse compared to the literature on upper limb amputations. This qualitative case study explored the challenges and barriers faced by persons with the loss of a finger phalanx, the extent to which such a loss affects their daily lifes, and the extent to which wearing a prosthesis can help minimize or compensate for these challenges and barriers, respectively. The goal of this project is to explore alternatives to motion mechanisms, bonding, and feedback relay of prosthetics in order to find new approaches and develop a prototype that is affordable for those affected. Affected individuals were interviewed about their experiences and changes in life compared to the time before they were missing a finger phalanx. A descriptive approach was used to identify key challenges and barriers. Since the study participants were able to acquire some coping strategies on their own over time, many things were still possible - at least to a limited extent - but wearing a suitable finger prosthesis can provide relief in many (everyday) situations and thus contribute significantly to improving the quality of life. These aspects should be used as starting points for further research, as a significant reduction of the identified challenges/barriers could help affected persons in the long run.

April 24th, 2023, 10:30 am - 11:30 am in room 2026, Karlstr. 45.