Cleaning and Durability of Upper Extremity Orthotics: A Patient's Perspective

Introduction We aimed to evaluate orthotic hygiene, preference for immobilization material, and frequency of unplanned orthotic adjustments and replacements. Methods All patients with fiberglass casts, thermoplastic splints, or prefabricated braces who presented at a large private academic instituti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 16; no. 8; p. e66794
Main Authors:	Bridges, Tiffany N, Cheesman, Quincy T, Meade, Matthew H, Kohring, Adam S, McCahon, Joseph, Walsh, Britani, Kachooei, Amir, Beredjiklian, Pedro K, Rivlin, Michael
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	United States Cureus Inc 13-08-2024 Cureus
Subjects:	Hygiene Orthopedic apparatus Orthopedics Patient education Patient satisfaction Preferences instructions cast immobilization fiberglass orthotic thermoplastic material
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Introduction We aimed to evaluate orthotic hygiene, preference for immobilization material, and frequency of unplanned orthotic adjustments and replacements. Methods All patients with fiberglass casts, thermoplastic splints, or prefabricated braces who presented at a large private academic institution between January 2020 and July 2023 were provided an 11-item survey assessing the length of immobilization, frequency of orthotic changes, orthotic hygiene, preference of immobilization, and whether patients recall instructions regarding orthotic care. Results A total of 385 surveys were collected, consisting of 96 (24.9%) casts, 202 (52.5%) thermoplastic splints, and 87 (22.6%) prefabricated braces. Patients were most frequently immobilized for two to six weeks. Of those, 106 (27.5%) patients required an unplanned adjustment or replacement. Almost half (182 patients, 47.3%) attempted to clean their orthotics, which was significantly greater among thermoplastic splints. A total of 229 (59.5%) respondents reported either not receiving or were unsure if they received instruction on proper orthotic hygiene. Conclusion Orthotic care and hygiene instructions are often overlooked or not retained by patients. Nearly one-third of patients required an unplanned adjustment or replacement, which was most frequent with thermoplastic orthotics.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23
ISSN:	2168-8184 2168-8184
DOI:	10.7759/cureus.66794