LITTLE ROCK - Patients with amputations to their fingers, hands and arms can receive care from a specialized physician, occupational therapist and prosthetist all under one roof at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Autumn Road Orthopaedics Clinic.

Once a month, this multidisciplinary team will focus on upper extremity amputations so patients can be seen by a doctor, have their needs assessed by an occupational therapist, and be fitted for a wide range of the latest available prosthetics, streamlining their need to make multiple trips.

Fellowship-trained upper extremity surgeons Mark Tait, M.D., and John W. Bracey, M.D., are part of the team, along with occupational therapist Angela Green and an upper extremity prosthetist who will fly in from out of state. Together, they will provide a level of upper extremity care unique in Arkansas.

The clinic is for anyone with an upper limb amputation, including: multiple fingers, partial hand, full hand, below the elbow, above the elbow and into the shoulder. The amputation could be recent or several years or decades in the past.

The occupational therapist will assess the patient's needs and provide referrals for any necessary follow-up therapy close to the patient's hometown.

The prosthetist will provide information on a range of options that might be best suited for the patient's goals. These include myoelectric-controlled prostheses, which allow the wearer to control the prosthetic device by using muscle contractions in the residual arm, and body-powered prostheses, which function by using movements elsewhere in the body to allow the patient to extend the arm or grasp an object, for example.