SPLINTING

Splinting plays a crucial role in the rehabilitation of various hand conditions. Depending on the need, splints can:

  • Restrict movement to protect and support healing bones, ligaments, tendons, or skin after surgery or injury (e.g., tendon or ligament repair, grafting over joints, mallet finger, burns, or crush injuries).
  • Immobilize for pain relief by preventing movement in painful joints, such as during a rheumatoid arthritis flare-up.
  • Support malfunctioning structures to enhance function, like improving grip in thumb arthritis or grasp strength in claw hand after nerve injury.
  • Aid mobilisation by gradually increasing the range of motion in stiff joints after injury (e.g., serial splinting for a stiff PIP joint, exercise splints after mallet finger injury, or post-Dupuytren’s surgery).

At our clinic, we use a variety of thermoplastic materials to create custom-fitted splints for your hand or wrist. This specialized plastic softens when heated, allowing it to be molded precisely to your hand, then hardens as it cools to maintain the ideal shape.

The Splinting Process:

  1. A paper pattern is created and checked for fit.
  2. The design is transferred onto thermoplastic material, cut, and heated to become soft and pliable.
  3. The warm splint is molded directly onto your hand or wrist for a perfect fit.
  4. Soft strapping is added to secure the splint and apply targeted pressure where needed.
  5. Final adjustments ensure comfort and effectiveness, and we provide guidance on splint care and monitoring for any potential issues.

Our goal is to provide comfortable, effective splinting tailored to your needs, supporting your recovery and improving hand function.

If you experience any of the adverse effects it is very important to contact us immediately so the splint can be reviewed and readjusted as needed.  

SPLINTING  AFTER  HAND  OR  WRIST  SURGERY

 

Splinting is a crucial part of treatment after many hand and wrist surgeries, e.g. tendon repairs, nerve repairs,  Dupuytren's surgery, mallet finger repair, sometimes after K-wire insertion (to protect the protruding wire), after joint replacements / arthroplasty, trapeziectomy, certain fractures, crash injuries, after DeQuervain's tendonitis surgery, after large grafting over joints.  The splint provides support and protection  for the healing structures. It often replaces the heavy cast or bulky bandaging that is usually applied straight after the  surgery. You will be sent for splinting by your surgeon usually after the first post-operation review and re-dressing. The first splint can be sometimes applied over protective bandaging or over hand that is swollen. As the bandaging is reduced and as your swelling comes down the splint might need readjusting to ensure snug fitting.

 

SPLINTING  FOR  PAIN  RELIEF

 

Resting splint is useful device to ease the pain caused by acute inflammation during flare-up of rheumatoid arthritis. The hand and wrist are placed in the position of rest that allows for the joints and tendons to be in an optimal position to decrease irritation and inflammation. It helps to decrease the pain and swelling.

 

SPLINTING  TO IMPROVE   FUNCTION

 

The splints in this category are designed to support affected joints in position that allows for better use of the hand. For some of the conditions there are off-the shelf supports and splints - for example there are many comfortable and supportive thumb and wrist splints for arthritic hand conditions, but if the joint has deformity you may need to have a fitted splint made. Placing the thumb or wrist in optimal position will allow for the muscles and tendons to work more efficiently without excessive strain and enable better grip, pinch and overall function.

Other conditions requiring splinting to improve function are neurological conditions like cerebral palsy or stroke, nerve damage due to illness or injury - ulnar nerve lesion, radial nerve lesion and sometimes median nerve lesion. The joints are again held by the splint in more optimal position to allow for the unaffected structures to work more efficiently. 

SPLINTING  FOR  MOBILISATION  OF JOINTS  AND  SOFT  TISSUES

 

Mobilisation splints are used to:

  • improve pliability and length of soft tissues of the hand and wrist:  muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsule, skin and scars
  • improve passive range of movement in the joint
  • maintain the range of movement achieved during the  treatment session