A Review on the Usability, Flexibility, Affinity, and Affordability of Virtual Technology for Rehabilitation Training of Upper Limb Amputees

(1) Background: Prosthetic rehabilitation is essential for upper limb amputees to regain their ability to work. However, the abandonment rate of prosthetics is higher than 50% due to the high cost of rehabilitation. Virtual technology shows potential for improving the availability and cost-effectiveness of prosthetic rehabilitation. This article systematically reviews the application of virtual technology for the prosthetic rehabilitation of upper limb amputees. (2) Methods: We followed PRISMA review guidance, STROBE, and CASP to evaluate the included articles. Finally, 17 articles were screened from 22,609 articles. (3) Results: This study reviews the possible benefits of using virtual technology from four aspects: usability, flexibility, psychological affinity, and long-term affordability. Three significant challenges are also discussed: realism, closed-loop control, and multi-modality integration. (4) Conclusions: Virtual technology allows for flexible and configurable control rehabilitation, both during hospital admissions and after discharge, at a relatively low cost. The technology shows promise in addressing the critical barrier of current prosthetic training issues, potentially improving the practical availability of prosthesis techniques for upper limb amputees.

Automated summary

This article systematically reviews the application of virtual technology for the prosthetic rehabilitation of upper limb amputees. It highlights the benefits of virtual technology in terms of usability, flexibility, psychological affinity, and long-term affordability, while also discussing challenges such as realism, closed-loop control, and multi-modality integration.