Rapid Functional Hand Stabilization in Austere and Operational Environments: A Motion-Permissive Approach

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Trauma care
• Military medicine

Background:

• Hand and finger trauma are common in military populations, impacting operational readiness.
• Current immobilization methods are time-intensive and limit function, especially in resource-constrained settings.
• Rapid, functional stabilization is crucial for tactical and prolonged casualty care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel, rapid, motion-permissive hand stabilization system (GRASP Hand).
• To assess the system's ability to achieve intrinsic-plus positioning while allowing controlled motion.
• To compare the GRASP Hand to traditional plaster splinting in a pilot feasibility study.

Main Methods:

• A pilot feasibility study in an outpatient setting.
• Eight surgeons applied both GRASP Hand and plaster splints to a healthy subject.
• Primary outcome: application time; Secondary outcomes: MPJ flexion angle and stability.

Main Results:

• GRASP Hand application time was significantly shorter (23.5s vs. 359s, P<.001).
• Both methods achieved intrinsic-plus positioning with comparable short-term stability.
• GRASP Hand showed more consistent initial MPJ flexion with less variability.

Conclusions:

• The GRASP Hand enables rapid, reproducible intrinsic-plus positioning, comparable to plaster splints.
• Feasible for operational environments with delayed evacuation and limited resources.
• May improve functional recovery by allowing early protected mobilization for select hand injuries.