Clinical effect of rehabilitation after distal radius fracture surgery using a wearable device: A comparative prospective cohort study.

Background: Appropriate postoperative rehabilitation of distal radius fractures is essential for early recovery and pain management, but may be limited by medical staff and equipment availability and costs. Home-based training or wearable devices provide an alternative.

Objectives: To assess use of a wearable device and home-based training for rehabilitation after distal radius fracture surgery.

Design: Prospective comparative cohort study.

Method: Between April and November 2021, patients aged > 20 years with distal radius fracture who could understand and use wearable devices and their application were recruited. Patients with polytrauma, neurological disorder or musculoskeletal disorder were excluded. The control group underwent a regimen of passive and active finger and wrist exercises after surgery, while the experimental group performed equivalent rehabilitation using a wearable device (smart glove). Outcomes comprised pain on visual analog scale, wrist range of motion, Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score, Modified Mayo Wrist Score, and radiographic parameters (radial inclination, radial height, ulnar variance and volar tilt) at 6 and 12 weeks after surgery.

Results: Fracture type, age and gender did not differ between the control (n = 7) and experimental (n = 7) groups. All participants achieved bone union and exhibited equivalent radiographic parameters at follow-up. The experimental group showed significantly improved Mayo scores (65.7 vs. 56.4, p = 0.044), wrist range of motion (259.3 vs. 179.3, p = 0.021), and pain (1.43 vs. 3.29, p = 0.011) at 6 but not 12 weeks' follow-up.

Conclusions: Rehabilitation using a smart glove showed better short-term clinical outcomes after surgery than conventional rehabilitation. Rehabilitation using a wearable device may be beneficial for early recovery after distal radius fracture surgery.