Last week we were excited to meet Kenny who received his new Hero Arm prosthesis. It was built custom to his limb presentation using state-of-the-art 3D printing technology. Here’s how the day went when Kenny got to take his Hero Arm home. 

Kenny wanted a new prosthesis that was more intuitive. He showed the day-to-day limitations he faced with his current multi-grip myo prosthesis “When I try to close the grip on this robotic arm, because the frame is so rigid, it really hurts when I move my muscles.” Kenny demonstrated how he would usually go about flexing his muscles to control finger movement without much luck and a lot of effort. 

Kenny lost his arm nearly two years ago, due to an accident that resulted in a severe infection that cost Kenny his right arm.  Since the amputation, Kenny has been on a journey of looking for the right assistive device to not only help with day-to-day activities but to support him at work in a grocery store. 

The moment of truth 

When Kenny opened the box containing his Hero Arm, he was speechless. “Oh my gosh, oh my!” As soon as the Hero Arm was out of the box, Kenny couldn’t wait to put it on. First impressions were “Wow!” 

As soon as Kenny tried on the Hero Arm he immediately remarked on the weight “That’s really lightweight compared to this one.” he pointed at his previous multi-grip myo solution that he couldn’t control without supporting the weight with his sound hand.

Within a few minutes of wearing the Hero Arm, Kenny felt the difference “I have been fitted with myoelectric solutions in the past. All I know is that I was not happy with them, no matter how much they told me to stick with it. Wearing the Hero Arm, and operating it is so different, it’s intuitive. I’m so happy. You have brought me happiness, and that’s all I’ve been looking for.”  Watch Kenny trying the Hero Arm on for the first time.

Putting the Hero Arm under a weight load as part of the clinical training at his delivery appointment Kenny remarked “I’m lifting an 8 pound briefcase with my Hero Arm and it feels fine, really good.” 

When asked about the design of the Hero Arm, Kenny quickly noticed the breathable features. Tracing his fingers over the air vents on the forearm he noticed the stark difference between his previous prosthetic solutions “That’s going to go in the closet when I get home” Kenny pointed at his old prosthesis shaking his head. 

Relaxed on the sofa at our Denver prosthetic clinic, Kenny took time to work through various muscle groups to activate different grip modes. He practised picking up keys, cutting food with a knife and a fork, putting the Hero Arm in freeze mode to lock a grip when practising writing – 

 “This is so satisfying.” Kenny said as he wrote his name on a notepad. 

We’ll be checking in with Kenny soon to see how he’s been putting our technology to the test. Stay tuned! Want to try the Hero Arm for yourself? Register to book a free demo.