Screening of Inpatient Rehabilitation Stroke Patients for Their Potential to Qualify to Use the Saeboflex Dynamic Hand Orthosis

Therapeutic interventions for the recovery of hand function after a neurological injury have historically been very limited. A significant body of research now supports the use of an upper extremity retraining approach for functional recovery after neurological injury. Few therapeutic approaches offer any intervention specifically focused on grasp and release retraining. In an effort to address this deficit, the SaeboFlex dynamic hand orthosis was developed by occupational therapists. The F.T.M. Arm Training Program has been safely used by hundreds of occupational and physical therapists on over one thousand patients in outpatient neurological rehabilitation over the last 2 years. It is currently an accepted modality of treatment for the management of hand paresis in the acquired brain injury outpatient population. Two factors, other than the severity of the initial injury, have been clinically identified as having a significant affect on the outcomes achieved in F.T.M. Arm Training treatment. They are learned non-use and soft tissue shortening of the finger flexors. All treatment delivered to the subjects that partake in this study will be clinical care and the only research component of this study will be the assessment of outcomes. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential patient population that may qualify to use the SaeboFlex Dynamic Hand Orthosis as a therapeutic option in the inpatient population.