Abstract
【Introduction】The importance of orthotic therapy has been reported in rehabilitation after peripheral nerve paralysis of the upper limbs. The authors developed an orthosis, MfHAH, utilizing electromyography. The aim of this study was to assess the proficiency of upper limb function, grip strength, and satisfaction with the orthosis MfHAH. 【Methods】To evaluate the proficiency of upper limb function, the relative change rate was calculated from the number before and after, considering changes of ＜5% as proficient, and the number of proficient times was summed up. Grip strength was evaluated using a touch sensor. Satisfaction before and after proficiency was evaluated using the Japanese version of the System Usability Scale (SUS). 【Results】For proficiency in upper limb function with MfHAH, the first and second attempts, as well as the second and third attempts, showed a significant difference compared to those when not wearing the orthosis (p＜0.05). The relative change rate for the third and fourth attempts was significantly different between with and without MfHAH (30.9±13.0% versus 2.4±5.3%, respectively; p＜0.05). No significant difference was observed between with and without MfHAH from the fourth attempt onwards. Proficiency in upper limb functions did not show a significant difference from the fourth attempt onwards. There was no significant difference in the grip strength without MfHAH. The satisfaction with MfHAH significantly improved after improvement in proficiency compared to the initial attempt (p＜0.05). 【Conclusion】MfHAH is an effective orthosis with controllable gripping characteristics and high satisfaction, although it requires a certain amount of time to master. Furthermore, it is believed that the use of MfHAH in patients with peripheral nerve disorders may lead to an improvement in the quality of life.
