Hand Injury Patients Receiving Different Rehabilitation Programs

Rehabilitation regimen is a noninvasive therapy for hand injured patients after operation. Protected active/passive motion is the mostly used method. Rehabilitation therapy could provide pain control, improvement of joint motion, stiffness reduction, preventing secondary trauma. The investigators will collect 40 patients with hand trauma after operation and 10 normal subjects in this study. These 40 patients were divided into 2 experimental groups: 20 patients in group A ( immobilization program) and 20 patients in group B (Kleinert program).

A.The immobilization program 0-4 week: dorsal prospective splint in the wrist and MCP joint flexion and IP joint full extension.

3-4 weeks: Hourly: 10 repetitions of passive digital flexion and extension with wrist at 10ﾟextension. Hourly: 10 repetitions of active tendon gliding exercises.

4-6 weeks: dorsal blocking splint discontinued. Gentle blocking exercises initiated 10 repetitions, 4-6 times daily added to passive flexion and tendon gliding.

6-8 weeks: gentle resistive exercise being and progresses gradually. B.The Kleinert program 0-3 day: dorsal protective splint applied with wrist and MCP joints in flexion and IP joints in full extension; elastic traction from fingernail, through palmar pulley, to volar forearm. Velcro strap to allow night release of elastic traction, splinting IPs in full extension.

0-4 weeks: hourly active extension to limits of splint, followed by flexion with elastic traction only. Wound and scar management and education. 4-6 weeks: dorsal protective splint discontinued, sometimes replaced with wrist cuff and elastic traction. Night protective splint to prevent flexion contracture. Active wrist and gentle active fisting initiated unless signs of minimal adhesions. At 6 weeks blocking exercises begin.

6-8 weeks: progressive resistive exercises begin. The investigators will perform the physical examination, brain fMRI, and QuickDASH questionnaire for each patient before the program, 3 and 6 months later. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be also performed in normal participants.

All patients will perform rehabilitation with 2-3 sessions per week. The investigators will perform the physical examination, brain fMRI, and QuickDASH questionnaire for each patient before the program, 3 and 6 months later. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) will be also performed in normal participants.

Inclusion criteria

• The patients have a hand trauma injury after operation (< 3 months)

Exclusion criteria

• previous history of hand injury
• infection disease; arthritis
• systemic neuromuscular disease
• single tendon injury.
• central nerve system disorder