Upper Limb Prosthetic Outcome Measures (ULPOM): A Working Group and Their Findings

Rapid improvements in materials, design, and treatment in upper limb prosthetics makes assessment an important area. After meetings at international conferences and workshops, a special interest group of professionals concerned with the provision of upper limb prostheses was formed to create a systematic approach to measurement of function for upper limb prostheses. They used the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) model to identify a series of tests that could cover the cycle of prosthetic use from research to application in the field. It is suggested that a unified approach throughout the profession would allow better communication between the respective groups. The group analyzed literature on the subject and identified which existing tools have the psychometric properties that allow for valid comparison of data between practitioners. The group proposes that a toolkit of different validated measures has been identified, along with gaps within the kit that need additional attention.