Effects of the EMG-driven Hand Robot Training in Patients With Hand Dysfunction Due to Nerve Damage From Burns
Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital
60 participants
Dec 6, 2023
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
Hands are the most frequent burn injury sites. Appropriate rehabilitation is essential to ensure good functional recovery. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of EMG driven robotic rehabilitation on hand functions and skin characteristics of patients with nerve damage caused by burns. A randomized controlled, single blind trial recruited the patients with hand dysfunction after burn injury. The participants were randomly allocated to experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) for 5 days a week and totally 60 sessions for 12 weeks. The EG received robotic assisted hand training with the EMG-driven exoskeleton hand robot (Hand of Hope®.Rehab-Robotics Company) and conventional occupational therapy. The CG performed conventional occupational therapy, including hand range of motion (ROM) exercises and hand functional training twice a day for 12 weeks. Outcome measures were as follows: 10-point visual analog scale for pain, Jebsen-Taylor hand function test, grip strength, Purdue Pegboard test, joint ROMs, ultrasound measurement of scar thickness, and skin characteristics before and immediately after 12 weeks of treatment. There is still no established protocol for burn injury rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of EMG driven robotic rehabilitation on hand functions and skin characteristics of patients with nerve damage and scarring caused by burns.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria6
- ≥ 18 years old
- more than 50% of the hand is burned
- burns occurred on the right hand, which is the dominant hand
- had a deep partial-thickness (second-degree) or a full-thickness (third-degree) burn, which had been treated with a split-thickness skin graft (STSG) after the burn injury
- nerve injury to the hand was confirmed by electromyography
- all patients were in the re-epithelialization phase
Exclusion Criteria2
- other causes of musculoskeletal diseases (rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative joint diseases et al) that may affect hand dysfunctions
- unstable scars (acute infection or coagulopathy) that may cause damage to the scar area during hand treatment
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Interventions
Robot rehabilitation program was applied with Hand of Hope®(Rehab-Robotics Company, Hong Kong), and EMG-driven exoskeleton. The biggest advantage of this system is that it measures the residual muscle activity values with surface EMG(sEMG) sensors. The residual muscles activity is used by giving feedback to the patient. This treatment program, which was applied to both groups in the study, consisted of joint range of motion (ROM) exercises, stretching exercises for burn scars, strengthening exercises using putty or bands, and fine motor training such as writing and using a chopstick.
This treatment program, which was applied to both groups in the study, consisted of joint range of motion (ROM) exercises, stretching exercises for burn scars, strengthening exercises using putty or bands, and fine motor training such as writing and using a chopstick.
Locations(1)
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NCT06563336