Primary Question: "When splinting is used to improve motion in post-traumatic stiff elbows, is there a significant difference in gains in motion achieved between static progressive or dynamic splint approaches?" Secondary Question: "Is there a significant difference in patient compliance with static progressive versus dynamic splint use, and does this effect final ulnohumeral motion outcomes?"
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
66
Static progressive splinting is a well-established adjunct for restoring elbow motion. Such splints apply a static stress relaxation force to the elbow tissues, which is sequentially increased, as motion is achieved.
Dynamic splints are a popular alternative, and apply a constant prolonged force to the tissues as additional motion is achieved.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Change in Arc of Flexion and Extension
Active ulnohumeral motion will be measured using a hand-held goniometer by the co-investigator not involved in the care of the patient at enrollment and 6 months after enrollment.
Time frame: baseline and 6 months
Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) Questionnaire
The DASH questionnaire measures arm-specific perceived disability. It contains 30 items and is scaled between zero and 100 with higher scores indicating worse upper-extremity function.
Time frame: 12 months
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