2016 Volume 12 Issue 1 Pages 85-91
Collateral ligament shortening causes extension contractures of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint, and dynamic flexion splinting (DFS) has been widely used to treat these contractures; however, there are various problems with these approaches. We developed a novel, pneumatic-type dynamic traction and flexion (DTF) splint to solve these problems. Twenty-one patients were treated with either the DTF or DFS for 8 weeks. Every 2 weeks, the average MCP joint flexion angle, total active motion (TAM), grasp strength, and pain scores were assessed. The flexion angle, in the DTF, was significantly greater than that in the DFS, starting after 6 weeks of treatment (p < 0.05). Similarly, the TAM results were significantly better following DTF treatment. Compared to treatment with DFS, our results showed that DTF treatment promoted earlier recovery of joint flexion angle and whole finger function in patients.
