SPLINTING FOR PERIPHERAL NERVE INJURY IN UPPER LIMB

Abstract

The prognosis and speed of peripheral nerve recovery depend very much on the level of injury, severity of injury, the surgical intervention and the subsequent rehabilitative process. Many high level injuries may take years or months for the affected peripheral nerve to recover. Prolonged muscle imbalance causes joint contractures and over-stretching of denervated muscles. Without proper care, hand function recovery may be limited even the nerve regenerated afterwards. During the nerve regeneration period, splinting is one of the most useful modality to minimise deformities, prevent joint contractures and substitute loss motor control. Proper splinting encourages early use of the injured hand in daily activities. There are different types of splinting design for median nerve palsy, ulnar nerve palsy and radial nerve palsy. Dynamic splinting techniques are frequently employed to allow early prehension activities. Other therapeutic techniques, including pressure garment and sensory re-education are useful to enhance better functional return after nerve repair.