Effect of intensive training with a spring-assisted hand orthosis on movement smoothness in upper extremity following stroke: A pilot clinical trial

If you are interested in Saeboflex.
http://www.naric.com/research/rehab/record.cfm?search=2&type=all&criteria=J64285&phrase=no&rec=119406
 Abstract: Study assessed the feasibility of intensive training using a spring-assisted hand orthosis on upper extremity in individuals with chronic hemiparetic stroke. Five participants for the experimental group and 5 for the control group were recruited from a local rehabilitation hospital. Subjects in the experimental group participated in 4 weeks of training using a SaeboFlex orthosis for 1 hour per day, 5 times per week. Each subject in the control group wore the same orthosis for 1 hour per day without participating in upper extremity training. Outcome measures included the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Box and Block Test (BBT), and Action Research Arm Test; kinematic parameters were collected using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The FMA and the BBT score were increased significantly in the experimental group after the intervention. The resultant velocity of the wrist joint for the reach-to-grasp task decreased significantly, and the resultant velocity of the shoulder joint while performing a reach-to-grasp task at acromion height decreased significantly in the experimental group. The study results indicate that the spring-assisted dynamic hand orthosis training is a feasible and effective treatment options for recovering the movement of the hemiparetic upper extremity of patients after stroke.