Kinesthetic Motor Imagery Training During Immobilization to Improve Wrist Functional Outcome After a Distal Radius Fracture in Women of 45-75 Years of Age

Rationale: Distal radius fracture (DRF) is a common injury that may lead to prolonged function restrictions, decreased range of motion, reduced grip strength and pain. These symptoms may be caused by physical changes due to the injury and/or by the 4-6 weeks immobilization that is part of the conservative treatment. However, it might also be that neural changes during the immobilization play an important role. Such changes might be prevented by motor imagery training during the immobilization period. So, when neural changes are prevented, this may lead to a better functional outcome.

Objective: The objective is to improve the functional outcome in distal radius fracture patients, specified as an increase in function, dexterity, grip strength, range of motion, and decrease of pain.

Study design: Parallel group randomized controlled trial, with a post-test only control group design. Patients in the experimental group perform motor imagery training during the immobilization period, in addition to the regular treatment. Patients in the control group receive regular treatment.

Study population: Female DRF-patients who are conservatively treated by a cast, aged 45-75 years. The fracture must be a low energy trauma caused by a fall. Patients with a score higher than 72 on the Vividness of Motor Imagery Questionnaire (VMIQ) are excluded, as well as patients with co-morbidities that might influence the wrist function, or motor imagery-ability, and patients with no understanding of Dutch language. The patients are randomly allocated to the experimental or control group by restricted randomization to ensure equal group sizes.

Intervention: Motor imagery training during the immobilization period).