Abstract
Background
The
Hand Extension Robot Orthosis (HERO) Grip Glove was iteratively
designed to meet requests from therapists and persons after a stroke who
have severe hand impairment to create a device that extends all five
fingers, enhances grip strength and is portable, lightweight, easy to
put on, comfortable and affordable.
Methods
Eleven
persons who have minimal or no active finger extension (Chedoke
McMaster Stage of Hand 1–4) post-stroke were recruited to evaluate how
well they could perform activities of daily living and finger function
assessments with and without wearing the HERO Grip Glove.
Results
The 11 participants showed statistically significant improvements (p < 0.01),
while wearing the HERO Grip Glove, in the water bottle grasp and
manipulation task (increase of 2.3 points, SD 1.2, scored using the
Chedoke Hand and Arm Inventory scale from 1 to 7) and in index finger
extension (increase of 147o, SD 44) and range of motion (increase of 145o,
SD 36). The HERO Grip Glove provided 12.7 N (SD 8.9 N) of grip force
and 11.0 N (SD 4.8) of pinch force to their affected hands, which
enabled those without grip strength to grasp and manipulate blocks, a
fork and a water bottle, as well as write with a pen. The participants
were ‘more or less satisfied’ with the HERO Grip Glove as an
assistive device (average of 3.3 out of 5 on the Quebec User Evaluation
of Satisfaction with Assistive Technology 2.0 Scale). The highest
satisfaction scores were given for safety and security (4.6) and ease of
use (3.8) and the lowest satisfaction scores were given for ease of
donning (2.3), which required under 5 min with assistance(This is not good, you have to be able to put it on yourself. That is the reason I quit using the Saeboflex splint.). The most
common requests were for greater grip strength and a smaller glove size
for small hands.
Conclusions
The
HERO Grip Glove is a safe and effective tool for enabling persons with a
stroke that have severe hand impairment to incorporate their affected
hand into activities of daily living, which may motivate greater use of
the affected upper extremity in daily life to stimulate neuromuscular
recovery.
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