A comparison of dorsal and volar resting hand splints in the reduction of hypertonus.

Ten adults with hypertonic wrist flexors volunteered as subjects in an experiment comparing the effectiveness of dorsal and volar resting hand splints in the reduction of abnormal muscle tone. Subjects were randomly assigned to two groups of five each. Individuals in one group were fitted with dorsal splints, and individuals in a second group with volar splints. Measurements by spring-weighted scales were taken to assess the efficiency of each splint design in the reduction of hypertonus. Results demonstrated no significant differences between the volar and dorsal splints in reducing hypertonus. However, the age of the subjects was found to be an intervening variable: The older subjects of both groups demonstrated a gradual but not significant decline in hypertonus, whereas the younger adults demonstrated a significant decline in hypertonus over a 6-week period.