SIG: Upper Limb Difference & Acquired Amputation

There has been particular interest in the treatment, rehabilitation and provision for individuals with upper limb acquired amputation and upper limb differences. This is a specialist area and practitioners working across disciplines may treat relatively few patients at a given centre or have limited opportunity to exchange knowledge with fellow professionals. Treatment modalities and product design progresses at a rapid pace including hand transplantation, osseointegration and neuromuscular control systems. Conversely, the use of ‘mechanical’ prostheses utilising a traditional terminal device and appendage system is, anecdotally, less prominent and the skillset required less accessible.

This group is chaired by ISPO UK Exec Members Morven McAlinden ( Academy Clinician - Prosthetics - Otto Bock Healthcare PLC) and Dr Alix Chadwell, (Research Fellow, University of Southampton). The group aims to meet three times per year.   We welcome all suggestions and ideas from members of the group for agenda items, including topics or themes for discussion.   Please contact us at any time with your thoughts and comments, so that we can plan our agendas and meetings ahead of time.

 

Next Meeting - Tuesday 21st January 2025 (2 pm - 4 pm) VIA ZOOM 

Register here

Please help contribute to the agenda!  

Those who attend our regular meetings will be familiar with our standing agenda:-

Invited/Guest Presentations - We already have one guest presenter on board (details to follow shortly), but we have time and space to slot in a further one or two.   Do you have a new initiative at work, or feedback to share on current practices within your organisation which you think would be of interest to others?   Or ready to promote your latest product or research?   Then please e-mail us with some details or a short introduction and one of the team will get back to you.   

Lightning Talks - are an opportunity to give a short 5-10 minute presentation (with one or two slides), introducing some research or a case study you are working on or perhaps have recently completed.   It’s also an opportunity to introduce yourself to the group if you’re newbie to the UL fraternity or have recently moved to a new post or organisation.  To book your slot at the next meeting, simply complete this short form with outline info, and we’ll get back to you to confirm.

News from ISPO International Special Interest Groups - SIGUL and SIGBAL - both groups open to fully paid up ISPO members - simply complete the online joining form (see links on individual webpages).

Latest updates on TIPS 2025  to be held on the fabulous SS Rotterdam, berthed in Rotterdam Harbour; and the ISPO 20th World Congress which takes place in Stockholm, Sweden in June 2025.  

We’re always open to new ideas and thoughts on how we might best use our time together during these group events.  So, do please share with us any suggestions, questions or contributions you may have and we’ll do our best to facilitiate within the time available.

 

Membership

Membership of the group is open to all fully paid-up members of ISPO UK.   If you are not a member yet, please consider 2025 as the year to jump in - already 2025 is being talked about as the “Year of the Upper Limb”.  Simply CLICK HERE TO JOIN or to continue as a member,  RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP HERE

To join the SIG, please complete this short form. Members of the group will be expected to actively engage with the group’s activities.

Non-members may may attend their first meeting for free. Thereafter to attend any further meetings of the group and/or to gain access to the networking platform (see below), we would ask you to join ISPO and complete a short form.

 

Networking

We also have a SLACK networking platform for communication outside of core group meetings and for the purpose of working together to address challenges (eg. developing new sets of upper-limb rehabilitation guidelines for people with limb difference/amputation). All ISPO members who have formally joined the SIG should have received an invitation to join the Group (if you haven’t, please contact us so that we may arrange to send the appropriate link).

 

If you have any questions, or require additional information, please contact us.