Comparison of Effects of Prefabricated Soft Wrist Orthosis and Conventional Wrist Thermoplastic Splint on Symptoms of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

Introduction The aim of this study was to examine the short-term effectiveness of a prefabricated wrist orthosis compared with a custom-made wrist orthosis and its long-term effectiveness on alleviating carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms. Materials and Methods A total of 109 patients with mild and moderate CTS were prescribed with either a prefabricated wrist or a custom-made wrist orthosis, and the changes in their mean scores on the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Symptom Severity Scale (CTSSSS) at baseline and the eighth week follow-up. The changes in CTSSSS scores of those prescribed with the prefabricated wrist orthosis were compared with the 32nd week postintervention. Results Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant effect at both mean CTSSSS and subscale scores (P < 0.001). Both prefabricated wrist orthosis (n = 88) and custom-made wrist orthosis (n = 21) were shown to alleviate CTS symptoms at the first follow-up. Repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant differences after the long-term application of the prefabricated wrist orthosis (n = 62) in terms of CTSSSS score, daytime numbness, nighttime numbness, and nocturnal awakening (P = 0.005-0.029). Clinical Relevance Along with the conventional thermoplastic splint, the prefabricated soft wrist orthosis could serve as an appropriate alternative to alleviate neurological symptoms of CTS due to its better long-term compliance.