Hand splints are used by occupational therapists as a method of reducing the increased muscle tone of the upper extremity following stroke. However, the paucity of research and inconsistent findings examining the effects of splinting on spasticity has resulted in this technique being a controversial one. Many parameters of splinting need to be investigated, such as the type of splint, the duration of use, and wearing schedules. This feasibility study was conducted to pretest instruments and procedures investigating the effects of a finger spreader on the spastic musculature of the wrist and to examine trends in spasticity associated with variables, including a splint wearing schedule, expectations and satisfaction with the splint, and compliance.
Nine subjects were randomly assigned to three groups defined by wearing schedules of twenty-two, twelve, and six hours per day. The greatest change in the level of spasticity was noted in the group wearing the splint for twenty-two hours. However, this trend was not statistically significant. A statistically significant relationship was found between expectations of the splint and compliance to the wearing schedule. Satisfaction with the splint outcome and therapeutic interaction was also observed to have a statistically significant relationship with compliance. This indicates that the procedures and measures designed for this study are worth pursuing in future research.
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