Narrow Results

Tendons are frequently injured by direct trauma. Tendon adhesions are a common factor compromising the results of tendon repair and to this day represent one of the most challenging problems in hand surgery. Use of controlled motion splints during the early stages of tendon recovery increases tendon gliding. Thus, a variety of controlled motion splints have been developed. This paper introduces a new controlled motion splint called the Synergistic Wrist Motion Splint (SWIMS). The "seqential quadratic programming method" was used to optimize Yang's synertistic model of the wrist/hand system, with the results being embodied in a practical controlled motion splint. Derivation of the model is discussed in detail. The dimensions of a patient's hand are input into a general formula to generate a specific SWIMS configuration for the patient. Five prototype SWIMS splints were produced and tested on 5 normal subjects. A three-dimensional motion analysis system was employed to measure the relative motion between the wrist and finger joints due to passive muscle tension for the prototype SWIMS splints, and the results are compared with the mathematical simulation or model.

Tendons are frequently injured by direct trauma. Tendon adhesions were a common sequel of tendon repair and are one of the most challenging problems in hand surgery.

The concept of “controlled motion” gradually replaced “total immobilization” in the treatment of flexor tendon injuries and today represents a standard of care for all primary repaired flexor tendon injury. Use of controlled motion splints during the early stages of stages of tendon recovery in crease tendon gliding. However, how best to achieve passive motion and the effect of passive motion on tendon gliding have remained controversial subjects. Based on a series of recent experiments, the concept of “dynamic synergistic wrist motion splint” was established and evaluated. It was found that this synergistic wrist motion increases the tendon excursion due to eliminating the laxity and buckling of tendon in the regions between pulleys without introduce excessive amount of tension.

The purpose of this study is to design and fabricate a dynamic splint based on this concept and define the nature coordinated motion between the wrist and finger joints due to the passive tension of the muscles in vivo.

Parametric analysis will be conducted to achieve an optimum design with the consideration of anatomic constraints. Clinical trial of using such dynamic splint will be evaluated in the future.