Benefits of wrist splinting in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVES: The goal was to present the use of a functional wrist splint and its impact on hand function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study group comprised 104 women aged 18–65 and diagnosed with RA, who were treated in the Rheumatology Clinic and Outpatient Department of the National Institute of Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation in Warsaw. The control group consisted of 40 healthy women in the same age group. Assessment of the hand function was the research method. RESULTS: Our results revealed substantially deteriorated function of the rheumatoid hand in relation to the healthy hand. The use of a wrist stabiliser is justified in patients with RA due to its beneficial impact, such as improved hand strength and dexterity and reduced pain. Based on the results obtained, it may be assumed that it is mainly patients with moderate and high disease activity who require stabilisation. The small number of patients in remission and with low disease activity was a limitation of the study. Hands with RA require an individual approach, and the most effective methods slowing down development of deformation should be sought. The results presented in this article may provide a starting point for further research on the most favourable wrist stabilisation in order to improve hand function in RA. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the hand function of women with RA is limited due to deteriorated grip quality and manual dexterity in comparison to healthy persons. Wrist stabilisation improves hand function in patients with RA.