Yang Yu-Sheng, Tseng Chi-Hsiang, Fang Wei-Chien, Han Ia-Wen, Huang Shyh-Chour
Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan.
Mechanical Engineering Department, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 807618, Taiwan.
J Clin Med. 2021 Sep 30;10(19):4549. doi: 10.3390/jcm10194549.
Spasticity, a common stroke complication, can result in impairments and limitations in the performance of activities and participation. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a new dynamic splint on wrist and finger flexor muscle spasticity in chronic stroke survivors, using a randomized controlled trial. Thirty chronic stroke survivors were recruited and randomly allocated to either an experimental or control group; 25 completed the 6-week intervention program. The participants in the experimental group were asked to wear the dynamic splint at least 6 h/day at home, for the entire intervention. The participants in the control group did not wear any splint. All the participants were evaluated 1 week before, immediately, and after 3 and 6 weeks of splint use, with the modified Ashworth scale and the Fugl-Meyer assessment for upper extremity. User experience was evaluated by a self-reported questionnaire after the 6-week intervention. The timed within-group assessments showed a significant reduction in spasticity and improvements in functional movements in the experimental group. We found differences, in favor of the experimental group, between the groups after the intervention. The splint users indicated a very good satisfaction rating for muscle tone reduction, comfort, and ease of use. Therefore, this new splint can be used for at-home rehabilitation in chronic stroke patients with hemiparesis.
痉挛是一种常见的中风并发症，可导致活动能力和参与度受损及受限。在本研究中，我们采用随机对照试验，调查了一种新型动态夹板对慢性中风幸存者腕部和手指屈肌痉挛的疗效。招募了30名慢性中风幸存者并将其随机分配至试验组或对照组；25人完成了为期6周的干预计划。试验组参与者被要求在整个干预期间在家中每天佩戴动态夹板至少6小时。对照组参与者不佩戴任何夹板。所有参与者在夹板使用前1周、使用即刻、使用3周和6周后，均使用改良Ashworth量表和上肢Fugl-Meyer评估进行评估。6周干预结束后，通过自我报告问卷评估用户体验。组内定时评估显示，试验组的痉挛明显减轻，功能运动有所改善。我们发现干预后两组之间存在有利于试验组的差异。夹板使用者对肌张力降低、舒适度和易用性的满意度评价很高。因此，这种新型夹板可用于慢性偏瘫中风患者的家庭康复。
