Prosthesis to enable a patient with above-elbow amputation to resume hunting

Abstract

Background: Creating a custom prosthetic device is challenging. The requirements of the patient?s life must be taken into consideration when manufacturing the device. After having met the requirements for an autonomous daily life, adjustments can be made for recreational activities. Subject and methods: A 67-year-old patient with an above-elbow amputation following a hunting accident wanted to use a rifle to hunt again. We considered her desires, the short stump, and the constraints of the type of hunting and environment, bearing in mind the safety of the patient and other hunters. Results and conclusion: An orthopaedic prosthetic system was developed to allow her to pick up the rifle, aim (sight), and shoot with recoil. The 2 rifle supports are fixed onto a bolero vest. The supports are made of carbon fibre, which is lightweight, and the gun can be aimed between them. Appropriate safety was achieved. The efficiency depends on the patient. There are few publications regarding amputation cases of this type, in which the specification goals were precision and the ability to walk with the prosthesis. Multi-disciplinary collaboration enabled us to create a device that met the requirements of this case.