Abstract
A comprehensive evaluation which includes a clinical assessment by occupational therapists and students, as well as patient users, along with a laboratory testing program has been conducted on six low-temperature thermoplastic splinting materials. After constructing a palmar working splint or palmar resting splint, the therapists and students completed questionnaires. The patients receiving those splints constructed by the therapists completed separate questionnaires after wearing the splint for one week and four weeks. The analysis of the responses revealed a series of 'desirable characteristics' for a preferred material. Although a satisfactory splint could be constructed from any of the materials, the concensus among the therapists and students showed that only two materials best satisfied the 'desirable characteristics' criteria. In general, the patient responses indicated very little difference among the materials, with very few reported problems of cracking, breaking, tearing, bending, discolouration or stretching. A series of laboratory tests that should provide a profile for a prospective or existing material, has also been selected.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.