Randomised, Evaluation-blinded, Crossover, Controlled Study Assessing the Antispastic Efficacy and Safety of Dynamic Night Hand Splinting in Adults With Post-stroke Hemiplegia Treated by Botulimum Toxin (Dysport®) - (a Pilot Study)

Upper limb spasticity is currently mainly managed with local toxin treatments. Recent studies suggested combining botulinum toxin injections with splinting to optimise rehabilitation in spastic patients. However, one study focused exclusively on lower limb spasticity, the second on elbow flexor hypertonia, and the last on wrist and finger spasticity in children.

A study was performed in adult patients with upper limb spasticity treated with botulinum toxin injections used as primary objective the tolerance for dynamic splinting. The authors noted that the need for botulinum toxin was reduced in 2 patients out of 6. No study has been conducted to date on the splinting + toxin combination in adults.

Another study showed that stretching sessions over 2 weeks of a muscle just given botulinum toxin helped improve the toxin's efficacy 2, 6 and 12 weeks after the injection. For this reason, rehabilitation teams routinely prescribe 10 sessions of physiotherapy for 15 days after botulinum treatment.

Based on this principle, we hypothesise that dynamic night splinting applied just after botulinum toxin treatment may also increase the toxin's efficacy. We chose a dynamic splint providing continuous stretching of the wrist and fingers in extension whilst allowing active flexion. Night splinting is thought to promote optimal functional use of the paretic upper limb during the day and thus prevent learned non-use, which could worsen the spasticity.

Each patient will receive treatment cycles, whose results will be compared, so that each patient will act as his/her own control. The evaluation will be based on the Tardieu scale chosen for its greater inter-individual reproducibility and greater reliability to measure spasticity.

The degree of extension of wrist and fingers provided by the splint will be adjusted to the patient's clinical condition with the elastic tensioners. The purpose of the splint is to maintain the stretch beyond the Tardieu spasticity angle at fast speed (V3) without reaching maximum extension, which could be harmful.

This protocol is designed to determine whether dynamic night hand splinting combined with botulinum toxin injections will improve botulinum antispastic efficacy in adults with brain damage.