The effects of palmar static splint on hand function, spasticity and wrist and elbow range of motion of 8 to 12 years old spastic cerebral palsy children

Upper limb dysfunction is a common and disabling consequence of cerebral palsy. Any functional disorder in the hand can cause a person's independence to be disrupted and therefore his or her social independence is threatened. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of volar static splint on hand function, spasticity and wrist and elbow range of motion of 8 to 12 years old spastic children. The design of this study was clinical trial and before_ after. Fourteen 8 to 12 spastic cerebral palsy children that have the inclusion criteria of study were selected from rehabilitation clinics of Tehran. The patient used a volar static splint (10 degree of wrist extension, full extension of fingers and abduction and opposition of thumb) for 2 mounts (2 hours during day and 4 to 6 hours at night). In this study Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test was used to evaluate hand function. Modified Ashworth Scale was used to evaluate spasticity. A Goniometer was used to measure range of motion. The results of this study showed significant improvement in hand function, significant reduction in wrist spasticity and elbow spasticity and significant increase in wrist range of motion The data did not show any significance in elbow range of motion. Our findings suggested that 2 months using of volar static splint in children with spastic cerebral palsy can improve hand function, wrist and elbow spasticity and wrist range of motion.