An orthosis is defined as an apparatus that is applied to support, align, prevent, or correct deformities and/or improve the function of movable parts of the body. By the strictest definition of an orthosis, the freehand system is not an orthosis but is a neuroprosthetic device. This neuroprosthesis is a logical extension of a traditional upper extremity orthosis and functional electrical stimulation in that the freehand system provides many of the same functions as these two devices. This article expands on the development and utility of the freehand system that is being used to combat hand dysfunction in the high tetraplegic individual.
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