Conditions and injuries of the finger, hand, wrist, forearm and elbow: what they are, how they behave, and when they stop being minor.
An anti-claw splint blocks the ring and little finger knuckles so the fingers can straighten and the hand opens again when the ulnar nerve isn’t working. You wear it by day, for use, for as long as the nerve takes to recover, often many months.
An ulnar drift splint holds the knuckles in line when rheumatoid arthritis pushes the fingers towards the little-finger side. It eases pain and improves grip while worn, but it can’t undo drift that has set. Which type, how long, and what goes with it.
A mallet thumb splint holds the thumb tip straight day and night for 6 to 8 weeks without a single bend, then at night for 2 to 4 more. How to wear it, exercises, work and sport, and when surgery enters.
The right TFCC brace depends on the tear: a compression band for milder ones, a rigid ulnar-sided splint for sharper ones, a rotation-blocking splint for unstable tears. Most wear a splint 4 to 6 weeks, then a band for sport while strengthening.
A carpal tunnel night splint should hold the wrist straight, not cocked back, every night for at least 6 weeks, often up to 12. The right angle, how long, day vs night wear, and when a splint isn’t enough.
A wrist drop splint holds the wrist and knuckles up while the radial nerve recovers: weeks to about 3 months after a Saturday night palsy, often 3 to 6 months or longer after a humerus fracture. Which splint, day vs night wear, and when to get nerve testing.
Most people wear a removable wrist splint full-time until about 6 weeks after the fracture or surgery, then wean out of it over 2 to 4 weeks. Here’s the wearing schedule, how to sleep and shower in it, the exercises to do out of it, and the warning signs.
A wrist cock-up splint holds the wrist about 20 to 30 degrees back with the fingers free. Most sprains and tendon problems need it for 2 to 4 weeks, weaned by about week 6. Fit checks, wearing schedule and the exercises for coming out of it.
Wear a short thumb CMC splint for the tasks that hurt, most of the day for 2 to 4 weeks in a flare, and at night if you wake sore. Give it 4 to 6 weeks before judging it. Soft vs rigid, fit checks and the exercises that go with it.
Wear a Capener splint several hours a day, building up from 1 to 2 hours, for around 6 to 12 weeks, and stop when the straightening holds between sessions. Who it suits, how to fit it, the exercises, and when casting or surgery comes in.