Orthotic intervention incorporating the dart-thrower's motion as part of conservative management guidelines for treatment of scapholunate injury.

STUDY DESIGN

Case series.

INTRODUCTION

This paper describes conservative guidelines for the management of scapho-lunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) injury including fabrication of an orthosis that restricts active wrist movement to the dart-throwers (DTM) plane.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The dart throwers' orthosis (DTO) was designed as a response to biomechanical studies suggesting that restraining motion to the DTM would off-load a deficient SLIL.

METHODS

After six weeks of wearing the DTO, the 5 patients in this case series initiated an exercise program that incorporated wrist proprioceptive training and specific muscle strengthening.

DISCUSSION

The DTO was designed to incorporate controlled movement in order to better integrate the secondary wrist stabilizers in wrists that had a deficient SLIL. The orthosis and the exercise program harnessed proprioceptive influences using active motion within the DTM plane, and stimulated mechanoreceptors so as to enhance stability.

RESULTS

All patients demonstrated improvement in subjective and objective outcomes including self-reported pain and function.

CONCLUSIONS

Orthotic intervention that controls motion within the DTM, combined with an appropriate proprioceptive rehabilitation program, may provide a viable conservative treatment option for patients with a similar clinical presentation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE