The Use and Meaning of Wrist Orthosis for Persons With Distal Radius Fracture After Cast Removal

To be able to do meaningful occupations in everyday life is important for human health and well-being. We use our hands in mostly activities and the hands is also used to interpret and express feelings as a social link to others. A traumatic hand injury, such as a distal radius fracture (DRF), alter the conditions for everyday occupation for the person affected.

DRF affects 25,000 people in Sweden each year. The treatment is either conservative with a plaster cast for approximately four weeks, or surgical. At time for cast removal the fracture is clinical stable, but cannot withstand full load in everyday occupations. Normally the person has difficulties to grip and to use the hand.

The occupational therapist (OT) provide the person with information, training program and often a wrist orthosis. The purpose of the wrist orthosis is to reduce pain, risk of overload of the fracture and to facilitate the use of the hand. The wrist orthosis referred in this study is two different prefabricated (of the shelf) types; a semi-rigid orthosis in elastic fabric with a volar splint or a short elastic wrist orthosis without a splint. Both meant to be worn when the person use the hand in everyday occupation. These wrist orthosis is commonly used in Sweden.

There is a lack research of this kind of wrist orthosis after cast removal for persons with DRF. There are studies of passive treatment orthosis designed to increase movement of the wrist or to reduce pain. Those orthosis is not meant to be worn in everyday occupation. There is however support in research that semi-rigid wrist orthosis i beneficial for persons with rheumatoid arthritis.

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