A gauntlet work splint

A flexible dorsal wrist splint

The authors have used a newly designed dorsal wrist splint on 65 patients since 1989. The splint base is made of Orthoplast. The design has a slender metacarpal bar across the palm, which does not interfere with the motion of the thumb and the normal sensation of the palm and provides some elasticity. The authors explored the conditions under which use of this splint would be appropriate from review of medical charts and the patients' comments. Fifty-five patients have used the splint, three patients could not use it, and another seven patients could not be reviewed about whether they used the splint. Of the 53 patients who could be interviewed in this study, 37 have worn the splint during housework and on the job. The authors believe that patients can perform most activities of daily living and occupations while using the dorsal wrist splint.