The use of exercise relative motion orthoses to improve proximal interphalangeal joint motion: A survey of Australian hand therapy practice.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional online survey.

INTRODUCTION

Exercise relative motion (RM) orthoses are prescribed by hand therapists to improve finger motion but there is limited scientific evidence to guide practice.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

To describe Australian hand therapists' use of exercise RM orthoses to improve PIPJ motion, including trends in orthosis design, prescription, clinical conditions, and their opinions on orthosis benefits and limitations.

METHODS

870 Australian Hand Therapy Association members were sent an electronic survey that included multiple choice, Likert scale and open-ended questions under four subgroups: demographics, design trends, prescription, and therapist opinions. Data analysis consisted of predominantly descriptive statistics and verbatim transcription.

RESULTS

108 Australian therapists completed the survey, over a third with ≥ 20 years of clinical experience. Exercise RM orthoses were prescribed weekly to monthly (82%) for between 2-6 weeks duration (81%) and used during exercise and function (87%). The most common differential MCPJ position was 11-30° extension (98%) or flexion (92%). Four-finger designs were most common for border digits (OR ≥3.4). Exercise RM orthoses were more commonly used for active and extension deficits compared to passive (OR ≥3.7) and flexion deficits (OR ≥1.4), respectively. Clinicians agreed that the orthosis allowed functional hand use (94%), increased non-intentional exercise (98%), and was challenging to use with fluctuating oedema (60%).

DISCUSSION

This survey highlights notable clinical trends despite only reaching a small sample of Australian hand therapists. Exercise RM orthoses were frequently being used for active PIPJ extension and flexion deficits. A common MCPJ differential angle was reported, while the number of fingers incorporated into the design depended on the digit involved. Therapists' preferences mostly agreed with the limited available evidence.

CONCLUSION(S): This limited survey identified common exercise RM orthosis fabrication and prescription trends amongst Australian therapists. These insights may inform future biomechanical and clinical research on this underexplored topic.