Does Restriction of the Dominant Hand Due to Injury Improve Non-Dominant Hand Function?

Recruiting

• Conditions: Dexterity; Tendon Injuries; Fractures; Nerve Injury

• Registration Number: NCT06783205
• Lead Sponsor: Gazi University

Brief Summary

Hand injuries result in the restriction of use of the injured hand within a splint or a plaster during the first 6 weeks which is critical for tissue healing. When the dominant hand is injured, patients experience more difficulty in daily life due to this restriction. Patients injured on their dominant hand mostly express that they are forced to use their non-dominant hand in their activities and as a result, the function of the non-dominant hand improves. However, the non-dominant hand function has not been analyzed in patients with restricted use of the dominant hand during the tissue healing period.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2024-04-06
• Status Verified: 2025-01
• Study First Submitted: 2025-01-13
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-01-14
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-01-14
• Study First Posted: 2025-01-20
• Last Update Posted: 2025-01-20
• Primary Completion: 2025-12-01
• Study Completion: 2025-12-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 43

Inclusion Criteria

• Individuals who need to use a splint for 6 weeks due to any pathology in their dominant hand
• Ages between 18-65
• Individuals who are within the first 10 days after the operation

Exclusion Criteria

• Individuals with an isolated thumb injury
• Those who require bilateral use of the splint/have bilateral pathology
• Those who have a condition that prevents the use of the non-dominant hand
• Those who can use both hands equally/do not have a dominant side (ambidextrous/two-handed)
• Those who have a cooperative status that will not comply with the treatment program
• Data from individuals who do not use the splint as described during the 6-week follow-up period will not be included in the analysis.

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
hand function	6 weeks	Hand function will be assessed using the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT), a valid tool for evaluating impairment and disability. The test includes tasks involving common grip types in daily life, aiming to measure the speed of task performance. Standardized materials, easily available in clinics, are used. The test has seven tasks: writing a 24-letter text, turning cards, collecting small objects, eating, stacking checkers, collecting light wide objects, and collecting heavy wide objects. A 1-minute rest is given between tasks, and completion time is recorded in seconds. Before evaluation, examples will be provided, and individuals will perform a trial run of each task. In our study, only the unaffected, non-dominant hand will be assessed, starting with a single real assessment after the trial.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
disability level	6 weeks	Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire will be measured. This questionnaire is used to assess upper extremity disorders and includes 30 items covering pain, stiffness, weakness, daily activities, and functionality. Patients consider their condition over the past week, with total scores ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate worse functional status.
Grip and pinch strengths	6 weeks	Gross grip strength will be measured with a hydraulic hand dynamometer (Jamar®) and fine grip strength with a pinchmeter. Participants will sit in a chair with back support, following the standard position: arm at the side, elbow at 90° flexion, and wrist neutral. Fine grip strength will be assessed in double (bipod) pinch, triple (tripod) pinch, and lateral grip positions. The forearm will be fully pronated for double and triple pinches, and midpronated for gross grip and lateral grips. Only the healthy non-dominant hand will be assessed. Measurements will be repeated three times, and participants will squeeze as hard as possible. The average of the three trials will be recorded in kilograms.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Gazi University Health Science Faculty Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department; 🇹🇷 Ankara, Yenimahalle, Turkey