Development of 3D-printed myoelectric hand orthosis for patients with spinal cord injury.
Hyun-Joon Yoo, Sangbaek Lee, Jongheon Kim and 2 others
PMID 31888695WHAT IT FOUND
In 10 people with chronic cervical spinal cord injury, wearing a 3D-printed hand orthosis controlled by muscle signals improved hand function test scores for many objects.
Small or flat objects showed little change.
Key findings
01The orthosis improved the first-part TRI-HFT score from 29.40 to 45.00 points, but small or flat objects did not show significant improvement.
02Total self-care scores improved with the orthosis, but task-level gains were limited to eating on the FIM.
03Participants rated effectiveness 4.5, dimensions 3.2, and adjustments 3.4 on a 1 to 5 satisfaction scale.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only 10 participants were studied, and there was no control group or usual-care comparison. Baseline was measured without the orthosis and the study was not blinded, so the before-after change may include bias. Self-care scores were measured on the same day the orthosis was applied, without time for adaptation. The device did not support individual finger movements, so fine motor tasks were not addressed. Small or flat objects did not improve, and one participant performed worse because of finger and wrist contracture. Participants rated dimensions and adjustments low, and the current device does not support large grasp forces. The cost estimate excludes the 3D printer. Long-term usability was not evaluated.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea, funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT, and by the Institute of Integrated Technology through a GIST grant. The supplied text does not report author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this orthosis improves everyday independence for all people with cervical SCI. The study tested 10 people during a single session, and self-care gains were limited to eating while small or flat objects did not improve.