An adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomes
Objective: Tendinous mallet finger injuries are normally treated conservatively by finger splinting, whereby the injured finger is immobilised in extension to allow the ruptured extensor tendon to heal. However, current splints including the Stack and Zimmer reported high failure rates of almost 50 ...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2024-02-01
|
| Series: | Annals of 3D Printed Medicine |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666964124000018 |
| _version_ | 1827347915702534144 |
|---|---|
| author | Shi Lei Teng Yoke Rung Wong Peggy Poh Hoon Lim Duncan Angus McGrouther |
| author_facet | Shi Lei Teng Yoke Rung Wong Peggy Poh Hoon Lim Duncan Angus McGrouther |
| author_sort | Shi Lei Teng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Tendinous mallet finger injuries are normally treated conservatively by finger splinting, whereby the injured finger is immobilised in extension to allow the ruptured extensor tendon to heal. However, current splints including the Stack and Zimmer reported high failure rates of almost 50 %. Reasons are attributed to poor splint fit, skin complications and discomfort which cause non-compliance to splint regimens. To address the above mentioned issues, we designed and developed a 3D printed adjustable and customised finger splint. Participants and interventions: The 3D printed finger splint, Zimmer and Stack splint were worn by 24 healthy volunteers on their middle fingers for 24 h. Main outcome measures: The finger extension angle, splint fit, splint comfort and skin maceration were assessed via angle measurement and subjects’ feedback using a questionnaire. Results: The 3D printed finger splint was capable to maintain the distal interphalangeal joint at an extended angle of 8.1° However, 70.8 % of the subjects reported that the 3D printed finger splint shifted or came off wholly during 24 h of wear. This proportion is higher compared to the Zimmer (45.8 %) and the Stack (37.5 %). While 91.7 % of the subjects were satisfied with the ease of wearing and removing the 3D printed finger splint, subjects experienced difficulty performing work and washing activities owing to the design and material. Conclusion: Our proposed design fulfils its function of holding the fingertip in extension and improves ease of application. The design of 3D printed finger splint could be further refined to provide better splint fit and comfort, so as to achieve better treatment compliance. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:59:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91fc53f87c184a70882e8b93f08670e0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-9641 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:59:55Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Annals of 3D Printed Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-91fc53f87c184a70882e8b93f08670e02024-02-18T04:44:35ZengElsevierAnnals of 3D Printed Medicine2666-96412024-02-0113100142An adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomesShi Lei Teng0Yoke Rung Wong1Peggy Poh Hoon Lim2Duncan Angus McGrouther3Biomechanics Laboratory, Singapore General Hospital, SingaporeBiomechanics Laboratory, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore; Corresponding author: Biomechanics Laboratory, Singapore General Hospital; 20 College Road, Academia, Level 1, Biomechanics Lab, 169856, Singapore.Department of Occupational Therapy, Singapore General Hospital, SingaporeBiomechanics Laboratory, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore; Department of Hand and Reconstructive MicroSurgery, Singapore General Hospital, SingaporeObjective: Tendinous mallet finger injuries are normally treated conservatively by finger splinting, whereby the injured finger is immobilised in extension to allow the ruptured extensor tendon to heal. However, current splints including the Stack and Zimmer reported high failure rates of almost 50 %. Reasons are attributed to poor splint fit, skin complications and discomfort which cause non-compliance to splint regimens. To address the above mentioned issues, we designed and developed a 3D printed adjustable and customised finger splint. Participants and interventions: The 3D printed finger splint, Zimmer and Stack splint were worn by 24 healthy volunteers on their middle fingers for 24 h. Main outcome measures: The finger extension angle, splint fit, splint comfort and skin maceration were assessed via angle measurement and subjects’ feedback using a questionnaire. Results: The 3D printed finger splint was capable to maintain the distal interphalangeal joint at an extended angle of 8.1° However, 70.8 % of the subjects reported that the 3D printed finger splint shifted or came off wholly during 24 h of wear. This proportion is higher compared to the Zimmer (45.8 %) and the Stack (37.5 %). While 91.7 % of the subjects were satisfied with the ease of wearing and removing the 3D printed finger splint, subjects experienced difficulty performing work and washing activities owing to the design and material. Conclusion: Our proposed design fulfils its function of holding the fingertip in extension and improves ease of application. The design of 3D printed finger splint could be further refined to provide better splint fit and comfort, so as to achieve better treatment compliance.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666964124000018Finger splint3D printingMallet finger |
| spellingShingle | Shi Lei Teng Yoke Rung Wong Peggy Poh Hoon Lim Duncan Angus McGrouther An adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomes Annals of 3D Printed Medicine Finger splint 3D printing Mallet finger |
| title | An adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomes |
| title_full | An adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomes |
| title_fullStr | An adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomes |
| title_full_unstemmed | An adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomes |
| title_short | An adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomes |
| title_sort | adjustable and customised finger splint to improve mallet finger treatment compliance and outcomes |
| topic | Finger splint 3D printing Mallet finger |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666964124000018 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT shileiteng anadjustableandcustomisedfingersplinttoimprovemalletfingertreatmentcomplianceandoutcomes AT yokerungwong anadjustableandcustomisedfingersplinttoimprovemalletfingertreatmentcomplianceandoutcomes AT peggypohhoonlim anadjustableandcustomisedfingersplinttoimprovemalletfingertreatmentcomplianceandoutcomes AT duncanangusmcgrouther anadjustableandcustomisedfingersplinttoimprovemalletfingertreatmentcomplianceandoutcomes AT shileiteng adjustableandcustomisedfingersplinttoimprovemalletfingertreatmentcomplianceandoutcomes AT yokerungwong adjustableandcustomisedfingersplinttoimprovemalletfingertreatmentcomplianceandoutcomes AT peggypohhoonlim adjustableandcustomisedfingersplinttoimprovemalletfingertreatmentcomplianceandoutcomes AT duncanangusmcgrouther adjustableandcustomisedfingersplinttoimprovemalletfingertreatmentcomplianceandoutcomes |