The reimbursement by French health care system of the new myoelectric devices with multiarticulated hands, requires assessment of the prehensile function. This evaluation could help rehab professionals to prescribe prosthesis among the different available devices for upper limb amputees. As well as in lower limb amputees, evaluation is organised according 3 axes: prosthesis assessment, amputee assessment, and the couple “amputee-prosthesis” assessment in terms of capability and disability. The aim of the study was to realize a review of the literature over the last 10 years to find the significant outcomes in upper limb amputees.

Medline, Reedoc, Scopus were interviewed between January 2006 and March 2017 with the following words: upper limb amputee, upper limb amputation, survey, questionnaire, evaluation, assessment, outcome and their equivalent in French. Only studies in English and in French were selected. Only self-reports and clinical tests in adults and in children considering psychomotor development were included.

Numerous outcomes (either generic or specific) were found. Most of them were only used by the validation team as the child specific UNB test. These outcomes cover a wide range of assessment: grip, monomanual and bimanual coordination grasp (considering psychomotor development), satisfaction, quality of life or body image. Box and Block Test (BBT), activities measure for upper limb amputees (AM-ULA) evaluating complete daily activities; Orthotics and Prosthetics Users Survey (OPUS) were the most commonly used outcomes. Southampton hand assessment procedure (SHAP) assesses the capabilities to realize tasks with the prosthesis. Any specific self-report is available in French. Disability of the Arm Shoulder and Hand scale (DASH), Abilhand test and Quebec Users Evaluation Satisfaction with Assistive Technology (QUEST) are the only nonspecific questionnaires available in French.

In upper limb amputees, assessment of the prehensile function is essential and imposed by French health care system to prescribe myoelectric prosthesis with multiarticulated hands. The clinical tests AM-ULA which have good psychometric properties and BBT could be used especially since the minimal detectable change (MDC) is known. SHAP is also interesting, however, MDC is unknown. The specific self-report OPUS should be validated in French and not just translated.