Can Static Progressive Splinting help avoid additional surgery? A clinical study.
The Effectiveness of Static Progressive Splinting for Post-Traumatic Elbow Stiffness
Elbow stiffness is one of the most common complications of elbow trauma. A study was conducted with patients experiencing post-traumatic elbow stiffness and was reported in the Journal of Orthopedic Trauma. Its objective was to determine the value of a JAS SPS splint in helping with post-traumatic elbow stiffness regain functional motion and avoid operative treatment.
Twenty-nine patients with post-traumatic elbow stiffness that were no longer achieving gains in range of motion with an occupational therapist-directed standard exercise program were selected.
The general protocol consisted of wearing the JAS SPS Elbow device in three 30-minute sessions per day. The study found that average flexion improved by 41º. Of all the patients, only 3 requested additional operative treatment to address their elbow stiffness.
The study concluded that the data suggests a trial of the JAS SPS Elbow should be considered when standard therapy course no longer shows Range of Motion progress. 90% of patients were able to avoid operative treatment by using the JAS SPS Elbow protocol.