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Carpometacarpal (CMC) osteoarthritis (OA) significantly impacts hand function and quality of life, particularly in older adults, and highlights the importance of effective conservative management strategies. Orthoses are a preferred conservative treatment, with recent advancements in 3D printing offering personalized alternatives. However, data comparing the outcomes of 3D-printed orthoses and traditional thermoplastic options are limited. Evaluating orthosis materials under controlled conditions may provide preliminary insights relevant for future clinical research. This study aims to evaluate and compare user satisfaction and functional outcomes of CMC orthoses made from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), polylactic acid (PLA), and low temperature thermoplastic (LTT) materials in healthy individuals. A comparative analysis conducted on healthy volunteers to assess satisfaction and functionality of different orthosis materials. Thirty healthy participants (15 males, 15 females, mean age 21 years) were recruited. Each participant used three types of CMC orthoses (TPU, PLA, and LTT) for two hours. User satisfaction was assessed using the Quebec Assistive Technology User Satisfaction Evaluation (QUEST 2.0), and hand function was measured using the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test (JTT). Statistical analyses appropriate for repeated-measures designs were used for group comparisons. TPU and LTT orthoses achieved statistically significant higher total scores on the QUEST 2.0 survey compared to PLA orthoses ( p  < 0.05). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between TPU and LTT orthoses. In the JTT total score, TPU orthoses performed statistically significantly better than both PLA and LTT orthoses ( p  < 0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between PLA and LTT orthoses. TPU orthoses demonstrated higher satisfaction scores compared to PLA and similar outcomes to LTT under short-term experimental conditions in healthy participants. These findings provide preliminary, experimental data obtained in healthy participants and may inform future clinical studies evaluating orthosis materials in symptomatic CMC osteoarthritis. Further studies in symptomatic populations with longer follow-up periods are needed to determine clinical relevance.

The effectiveness of conservative treatments in carpal tunnel syndrome is controversial. Comparing the effects of rigid tape, kinesio tape, and splint on pain intensity, symptom severity, functional status, and grip strength in the patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. This was a prospective, double-blinded, randomized-controlled trial. A total of 40 patients who were diagnosed with mild/moderate carpal tunnel syndrome were divided into four intervention groups: rigid taping group, kinesio taping group, splinting group, control group. The participants were assessed with the Visual Analog Scale, Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, hand dynamometer, and pinch meter at baseline and 2 weeks later with tapes or splint removed. All groups showed significant improvements in pain intensity (p = 0.005, ES = 0.88), symptom severity (p = 0.005, ES = 0.88), functional status (p = 0.005, ES = ranged between 0.79 and 0.88), grip strength (p = 0.005, ES = 0.88), and pinch strength (p = 0.004–0.006, ES ranged between 0.87 and 0.92). Between-group comparisons revealed greater pain reduction in the control group compared to the rigid taping group (p = 0.001, ES = 0.24). The rigid taping group showed the highest increase in grip strength, with both rigid and kinesio taping groups showing superiority over the control group (p < 0.001, ES = 0.37). Lateral and three-point pinch strengths improved significantly in the rigid taping group compared with the control group (p = 0.007, ES = 0.27; p = 0.003, ES = 0.30, respectively). The rigid taping group demonstrated the most consistent benefits, particularly in grip strength, while the kinesio taping group improved pain intensity and grip strength. However, external supports did not show superiority in pain relief, as the control group had better outcomes. Symptom severity and functional status improvements were similar among groups. •Evidence for the best external support in carpal tunnel syndrome is still limited.•Rigid and kinesio taping improve grip strength in mild to moderate cases.•Abstaining from the use of external support may reduce pain more effectively.•None of the supports are superior for function or symptom severity.

There were approximately 30,000 extremity trauma cases associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these individuals experienced multiple limb-sparing surgeries andorthotic utilization. While advanced ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) have been developed, studies investigating outcomes with these devices are limited. Therefore, little is known about the efficacy of these AFOs relative to conventional AFOs. The purpose of this prospective multi-site cross-over study is to determine if advanced AFOs will enable users to achieve greater levels of physical and self-reported function compared with conventional AFOs. Ambulatory individuals with a history of neuromusculoskeletal lower extremity injury will be recruited for the study. Participants will be eligible to enroll in the study if they meet the following criteria: 1) generallyhealthy, as evidenced by their ability to perform community ambulation; 2) lower extremity injury of any etiology requiring the use of an AFO (unilaterally or bilaterally); 3) male or female of any ethnicity; 4) 18 to 79 years of age; and 5) 100 to 275 lbs. All participants must be able to independently provide written informed consent and be willing and able to comply with the study protocol. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this study will generate new knowledge that will lead to the development of new clinical prescription and practice guidelines.

There were approximately 30,000 extremity trauma cases associated with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these individuals experienced multiple limb-sparing surgeries andorthotic utilization. While advanced ankle-foot orthoses (AFO) have been developed, studies investigating outcomes with these devices are limited. Therefore, little is known about the efficacy of these AFOs relative to conventional AFOs. The purpose of this prospective multi-site cross-over study is to determine if advanced AFOs will enable users to achieve greater levels of physical and self-reported function compared with conventional AFOs. Ambulatory individuals with a history of neuromusculoskeletal lower extremity injury will be recruited for the study. Participants will be eligible to enroll in the study if they meet the following criteria: 1) generallyhealthy, as evidenced by their ability to perform community ambulation; 2) lower extremity injury of any etiology requiring the use of an AFO (unilaterally or bilaterally); 3) male or female of any ethnicity; 4) 18 to 79 years of age; and 5) 100 to 275 lbs. All participants must be able to independently provide written informed consent and be willing and able to comply with the study protocol. It is anticipated that the outcomes of this study will generate new knowledge that will lead to the development of new clinical prescription and practice guidelines.

Paraplegic gait orthosis has been shown to help paraplegic patients stand and walk, although this method cannot be individualized for patients with different spinal cord injuries and functional recovery of the lower extremities. There is, however, a great need to develop individualized paraplegic orthosis to improve overall quality of life for paraplegic patients. In the present study, 36 spinal cord（below T4） injury patients were equally and randomly divided into control and observation groups. The control group received systematic rehabilitation training, including maintenance of joint range of motion, residual muscle strength training, standing training, balance training, and functional electrical stimulation. The observation group received an individualized paraplegic locomotion brace and functional training according to the various spinal cord injury levels and muscle strength based on comprehensive systematic rehabilitation training. After 3 months of rehabilitation training, the observation group achieved therapeutic locomotion in 8 cases, family-based locomotion in 7 cases, and community-based locomotion in 3 cases. However, locomotion was not achieved in any of the control group patients. These findings suggest that individualized paraplegic braces significantly improve activity of daily living and locomotion in patients with thoracolumbar spinal cord injury.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a manufacturing technique that is increasing in its application to produce methods of bespoke care for patients. An area of clinical care that has mixed outcomes and lacks consensus on the gold standard of treatment is mallet injury. There may be an opportunity to provide custom care to patients with mallet injury using 3D printing. To determine the feasibility of using 3D-printed custom orthoses to treat mallet injury, it is necessary to evaluate the prior evidence surrounding this topic. Thus, a scoping review of the literature is warranted. The Population Concept & Context Framework was used to develop the research question and inform the inclusion criteria. The population is adults and children of all ages and ethnicities. The concept is all reference to 3D printing for mallet injuries. The context framework is all locations, both research and clinical bases. The databases searched were CINAHL, MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, EbscoHost, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. As the earliest applications of 3D printing were in the 1980s, the search ranged from 1980-September 2023. English language filters were applied. A total of 10 results met the final inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The results of the review have demonstrated that the current body of evidence is represented by a low number of studies with heterogeneous methodologies, orthosis design, materials testing, and healthy vs injured subjects. Expanding research to focus on clinical outcomes of 3D-printed mallet orthosis on a wider scale could provide the data-driven evidence base needed to provide a meaningful addition to current health care orthosis options. The protocol was registered on September 6, 2023, with the Open Science Framework. Registration DOI: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/FSJPK. •First synthesis of literature on 3D-printed mallet orthoses.•Identifies gaps to guide future research and innovation.•Shows growing interest in 3D printing for mallet orthoses.

(1) Background: ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) is the most commonly prescribed orthosis to patients with foot drop, and ankle and foot problems. In this study, we aimed to review the commonly used types of AFO and introduce the recent development of AFO. (2) Methods: narrative review. (3) Results: AFO prevents the foot from being dragged, provides a clearance between the foot and the ground in the swinging phase of gait, and maintains a stable posture by allowing heel contact with the ground during the stance phase. In clinical practice, the most commonly used AFO include plastic AFO, walking boot, UD-Flex, and carbon fiber AFO. In addition, for compensating the demerits of these conventional AFOs, new types of AFOs, including AF Servo, TurboMed, three-dimensionally printed AFO, and AFO made from kenaf composites, were developed. (4) Conclusions: we think that our review can guide clinicians in selecting and prescribing the appropriate AFO for each patient in accordance with their specific physical conditions.

Chronic ulcers carry a high rate of failure to heal. Pressure ulcers are classified as wounds primarily caused by pressure. Foot ulcers typically present with heavy callus formation in response to excessive pressure, hindering the healing process. Apart from wound management, which includes wound dressing and mechanical debridement, eliminating the causative factors is crucial for optimal wound healing. The healing of plantar pressure foot ulcers can be especially stubborn when not adequately offloaded. Amongst various forms of offloading, this case report focuses on using a custom foot orthosis for offloading a plantar pressure foot ulcer.

Back pain and diseases of the spine are today a health disorder of outstanding epidemiological, medical, and health economic importance. The cost of care for patients with lumbosciatic complaints are steadily increasing. Accordingly, the guidelines and treatments are constantly renewed. One concept is the orthotic care. In the following we want to give an overview of the literature and the effectiveness of lumbar orthoses in low back pain supplemented by our own data. A prospective randomized study with 230 patients, divided into three groups, each with two subgroups. Three Orthoses by the TIGGES-Zours GmbH were prescribed; a demountable two-step lumbar orthosis, three-step bridging orthosis and a four-step flexion orthosis modular system. Each were compared to the nonmodular equivalent. All six groups showed improvement in pain intensity and functional capacity at 6 and 12 weeks. The modular groups were found to have improvement in the frequency of use. The subjective effectiveness and sensitivity for the modular and non-modular groups was assessed as being good. In the literature, there are no clear guidelines for an orthotic supply. The studies do not seem to be meaningful and universal due to the difficult ascertainability of pain. There is a need for further research here. Nevertheless, the authors of this review are of the opinion that the implementation of trunk orthoses is void of side effects and beneficial to patients. The modular systems seem to have an advantage as well as higher patient satisfaction.

Over recent years, brain-computer interface (BCI) has emerged as an alternative communication system between the human brain and an output device. Deciphered intents, after detecting electrical signals from the human scalp, are translated into control commands used to operate external devices, computer displays and virtual objects in the real-time. BCI provides an augmentative communication by creating a muscle-free channel between the brain and the output devices, primarily for subjects having neuromotor disorders, or trauma to nervous system, notably spinal cord injuries (SCI), and subjects with unaffected sensorimotor functions but disarticulated or amputated residual limbs. This review identifies the potentials of electroencephalography (EEG) based BCI applications for locomotion and mobility rehabilitation. Patients could benefit from its advancements such as wearable lower-limb (LL) exoskeletons, orthosis, prosthesis, wheelchairs, and assistive-robot devices. The EEG communication signals employed by the aforementioned applications that also provide feasibility for future development in the field are sensorimotor rhythms (SMR), event-related potentials (ERP) and visual evoked potentials (VEP). The review is an effort to progress the development of user's mental task related to LL for BCI reliability and confidence measures. As a novel contribution, the reviewed BCI control paradigms for wearable LL and assistive-robots are presented by a general control framework fitting in hierarchical layers. It reflects informatic interactions, between the user, the BCI operator, the shared controller, the robotic device and the environment. Each sub layer of the BCI operator is discussed in detail, highlighting the feature extraction, classification and execution methods employed by the various systems. All applications' key features and their interaction with the environment are reviewed for the EEG-based activity mode recognition, and presented in form of a table. It is suggested to structure EEG-BCI controlled LL assistive devices within the presented framework, for future generation of intent-based multifunctional controllers. Despite the development of controllers, for BCI-based wearable or assistive devices that can seamlessly integrate user intent, practical challenges associated with such systems exist and have been discerned, which can be constructive for future developments in the field.