Advances in prosthetic technology: a perspective on ethical considerations for development and clinical translation.

Journal: Frontiers in rehabilitation sciences
Published Date: Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

Technological advancements of prostheses in recent years, such as haptic feedback, active power, and machine learning for prosthetic control, have opened new doors for improved functioning, satisfaction, and overall quality of life. However, little attention has been paid to ethical considerations surrounding the development and translation of prosthetic technologies into clinical practice. This article, based on current literature, presents perspectives surrounding ethical considerations from the authors' multidisciplinary views as prosthetists (HG, AM, CLM, MGF), as well as combined research experience working directly with people using prostheses (AM, CLM, MGF), wearable technologies for rehabilitation (MGF, BN), machine learning and artificial intelligence (BN, KKQ), and ethics of advanced technologies (KKQ). The target audience for this article includes developers, manufacturers, and researchers of prosthetic devices and related technology. We present several ethical considerations for current advances in prosthetic technology, as well as topics for future research, that may inform product and policy decisions and positively influence the lives of those who can benefit from advances in prosthetic technology.

Authors

  • Hayden Gavette
    Orthotics and Prosthetics Program, School of Health Professions, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.
  • Cody L McDonald
    Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.
  • Kristin Kostick-Quenet
    Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.
  • Ashley Mullen
    Orthotics and Prosthetics Program, School of Health Professions, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.
  • Bijan Najafi
    Interdisciplinary Consortium on Advanced Motion Performance Lab (iCAMP), Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.
  • M G Finco
    Orthotics and Prosthetics Program, School of Health Professions, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.

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