Opposition Splint for Partial Thumb Amputation: A Case Study Measuring Disability before and after Splint Use

Study Design: Case report. Introduction: A combined burn and a partial amputation can be extremely debilitating as the thumb constitutes 40% of the entire hand when evaluating functional impairment. Purpose of the Study: Measure disability with and without Opposition splint use after partial thumb amputation due to a burn. Methods: Impairment and disability measures were completed at discharge from the hospital and subsequently during outpatient follow-up visits while wearing and not wearing a thumb opposition splint at 3, 6, 8, and 15 months. Comparisons between disability and impairment scores were assessed over time. Results: The difference between DASH scores with and without using the splint were 25 at 3 months, 16 at 6 months, 10 at 8 months, and 12 at 15 months. Conclusions: Splint use in this case demonstrated clinically significant changes over time with minimal changes in impairment indicating enhanced function and improved patient perception of disability. Level of Evidence: 4