Feasibility of post-stroke hand rehabilitation supported by a soft robotic hand orthosis in-clinic and at-home.
Natalie Tanczak, Tegan Kate Plunkett, Sijie Lin and 7 others
PMID 40842028WHAT IT FOUND
Eight people with chronic stroke used a soft robotic hand orthosis for five weeks of occupational therapy, first in clinic then at home.
They achieved high training doses independently at home, and most showed clinically meaningful improvements in hand function that were maintained at one month.
Key findings
01Participants achieved high training doses at home, averaging 1293 repetitions over 486 minutes, which was an increase from the in-clinic average of 809 repetitions over 521 minutes.
02Six of eight participants achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremity (FMA-UE) scores, with the group mean increasing by 6.0 points.
03No pain or adverse events were reported, and the device was rated as having good usability with a System Usability Scale score of 72.5.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was a small, single-arm pilot with only eight participants, so it cannot determine efficacy compared to standard care or other interventions. Occupational therapists were not blinded and had previously treated some participants, which may have introduced bias in assessment or interaction. Technical issues with the device, specifically finger breakage, required interruptions and repairs, though a material change resolved this midway through the study. Home usage data was incomplete, particularly regarding setup time and assistance received, which limits the understanding of the true burden of independent use. Participants were required to have a carer available to help, which may not reflect the typical home environment for all patients.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich. No commercial conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the robotic orthosis is superior to conventional therapy or that it reliably improves quality of life. The study was a small feasibility trial without a control group, and quality of life measures showed no significant improvement despite gains in hand function.