Although clinical evidence confirms that assistive devices can help achieve hand function improvements in people with cervical spinal cord injury, a study noted that current devices have limitations that can include price, accessibility, and differences in the user’s muscle strength.
To that end, the researchers developed a 3D-printed, wrist-driven orthosis to improve the gripping effect and tested the feasibility. Eight participants with hand function impairment due to a cervical spinal cord injury were enrolled, and the wrist-driven orthosis with a triple four-bar linkage was designed. The participants’ hand function was assessed before and after they wore the orthosis, and the outcomes were assessed using a pinch force test, a dexterity test (Box and Blocks Test), and a Spinal Cord Independence Measure Version Ⅲ questionnaire.
Before the participants wore the device, the pinch force was 0.26 pounds and increased by 1.45 pounds after they wore the device. Hand dexterity increased by 37 percent. After two weeks, the pinch force increased by 1.6 pounds and hand dexterity increased by 78 percent. No significant difference was observed in self-care ability assessed in the independence measure, according to the study.
The study, “Using a 3D-printed hand orthosis to improve three-jaw chuck hand function in individuals with cervical spinal cord injury: A feasibility study,” was published in IEEE Xplore.
