Novel knit fabric rehabilitation equipment for finger impairment.
Tomoo Mano, Shigekazu Fujimura, Shigenobu Amari and 3 others
PMID 35937625WHAT IT FOUND
Wearing this new knit glove significantly reduced grip and pinch strength in healthy adults.
While it applied resistance to finger joints, it did not demonstrate improved function or safety for therapeutic use in this small group.
Key findings
01Grip strength and lateral pinch strength decreased significantly while wearing the glove.
02Tip and palmar pinch strengths also decreased significantly during use.
03Participants reported minor discomfort such as tightness and fatigue, but no serious adverse effects.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study only included healthy adults, not patients with finger impairment from stroke or other conditions, so results cannot be generalized to the target clinical population. The sample size was very small (n=20). The study measured immediate changes in strength while wearing the device, not long-term therapeutic effects or functional improvement in activities of daily living. The paper claims the device adds resistance to help improve motor function, but the results only showed that wearing it temporarily reduced strength; no improvement was demonstrated.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest and the research received no specific grant funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this glove improves hand function or strength. The study showed that wearing it actually decreased grip and pinch strength in healthy adults, and it was never tested in patients with finger impairment.