Seegmiller Daniel B, Eggett Dennis L, Charles Steven K
Mechanical Engineering.
Statistics, and.
J Rehabil Res Dev. 2016;53(6):1151-1166. doi: 10.1682/JRRD.2014.11.0274.
Wrist orthoses (also known as splints, braces, or supports) are commonly used to support or restrict the motion of a weak or injured wrist. These orthoses generally function by stiffening the wrist joint. Therefore, choosing the proper orthosis (or improving orthoses) requires that we understand their stiffness properties. In this study, we present a method for measuring the stiffness of wrist orthoses, and we apply this method to 12 of the most common wrist orthoses. We found similarities and differences between these orthoses, indicating that different orthoses have different effects on the wrist joint and, presumably, on wrist behavior. In particular, all six orthoses with a stay on the volar side or the volar and dorsal sides added a significant amount of stiffness to the wrist joint. In contrast, only one of three orthoses with a stay on the dorsal side and none of the three orthoses without stays exhibited a significant amount of stiffness, calling into question their ability to support the wrist joint. This work lays a foundation for future studies investigating the effect of wrist orthosis stiffness on wrist behavior and how wrist orthosis stiffness can be designed to produce behavior that facilitates healing.
手腕矫形器（也称为夹板、支具或支撑物）通常用于支撑或限制虚弱或受伤手腕的活动。这些矫形器一般通过使腕关节变硬来发挥作用。因此，选择合适的矫形器（或改进矫形器）需要我们了解它们的刚度特性。在本研究中，我们提出了一种测量手腕矫形器刚度的方法，并将该方法应用于12种最常见的手腕矫形器。我们发现这些矫形器之间存在异同，这表明不同的矫形器对腕关节以及可能对手腕行为有不同的影响。特别是，所有六种在掌侧或掌侧和背侧带有支柱的矫形器都显著增加了腕关节的刚度。相比之下，三种在背侧带有支柱的矫形器中只有一种，而三种没有支柱的矫形器均未表现出显著的刚度，这让人质疑它们支撑腕关节的能力。这项工作为未来研究手腕矫形器刚度对腕部行为的影响以及如何设计手腕矫形器刚度以产生促进愈合的行为奠定了基础。
