Custom Splinting for Sports Injuries of the Hand or Wrist
Hand and wrist injuries are among the most common athletic injuries, accounting for approximately 25% of all sports-related injuries according to recent studies. Dr. Uzma Rehman, is a board-certified hand specialist with offices in Shelby Township and Bloomfield Hills, who provides expert sports injury treatment to athletes who have injured their hand, wrist or arm.
Custom splinting solutions are one of the most common sports injury treatment options – that help athletes return to their sport safely while ensuring optimal healing of injured structures. Although “over the counter” braces are available, often times an off-the-shelf brace is not as effective as custom splinting. In this article board certified hand surgeon Dr. Rehman discusses how to get the best fitting brace or splint for your injury anddiscusses some of the ins-and-outs of custom splints for sports injuries.
Common Sports Injuries of the Hand & Wrist
Common sports-related hand and wrist injuries requiring professional splinting include scaphoid fractures, gamekeeper’s thumb (UCL tears), triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) injuries, and various ligament sprains and tears. Each of these injuries requires a specific splinting approach to immobilize the injured structures while maintaining function in unaffected areas.
Basketball players frequently experience finger injuries such as mallet finger or PIP joint sprains, requiring specialized protective splinting that allows continued play. Tennis and golf athletes often present with wrist tendinitis or TFCC tears needing custom splints that provide stability while maintaining grip strength. Rock climbers commonly require specific splinting for pulley injuries that protect the affected fingers while allowing continued training of uninjured digits.
And athletes in contact sports like football and hockey experience everything from sprains, strains, breaks, and jams that need to be stabilized with custom splinting of the fingers, hand or wrist.
Types of Splinting for Sports Injuries of the Hand or Wrist
A splint and a brace refer to the same thing – and can also be called an orthosis. These devices hold a body part still after injury. Different types of orthosis are appropriate for different types of injuries, so it is best to consult a specialized hand doctor and not try to splint an injury yourself.
Recent advances in splinting materials and techniques have revolutionized sports injury care. Modern thermoplastic materials offer improved comfort and durability while allowing for better air circulation. These materials can be precisely molded to the patient’s anatomy, providing superior support compared to pre-fabricated options. Additionally, new dynamic splinting designs help maintain joint mobility during the healing process, potentially reducing rehabilitation time.
Professional evaluation and splinting by a hand specialist is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment planning. Dr. Rehman’s comprehensive approach includes detailed assessment of injury patterns specific to each sport, allowing her to design splints that address both immediate injury protection and prevention of future complications. Her expertise helps ensure that athletes can return to their sport safely while minimizing the risk of re-injury or chronic problems.
Pre-fabricated Splints for the Hand or Wrist
Splints can be pre-fabricated or custom. A pre-fabricated splint is designed to be used for general injuries, and typically come in a small, medium, and large sizes. However, these generic sizes may not fit certain people properly. Additionally, prefabricated splints may not be in the proper position for optimal healing of certain problems.
Typically, a quick trip to an urgent care or a general practitioner will send you home with pre-fabricated splint. This can be fine to immobilize the hand or finger temporarily. But you should always follow up with a hand doctor to see if a custom splint would be more appropriate for long-term healing.
While over-the-counter and urgent care 0ne-size-fits-all splints may seem convenient, improper splinting can lead to complications including stiffness, weakness, and chronic instability. Dr. Rehman’s expertise in hand anatomy allows her to create custom splints that precisely target injured structures while preserving essential range of motion. This specialized approach helps prevent the development of secondary problems like adhesions or compensatory injuries.
Custom Splinting of the Hand or Wrist
A custom splint is made to fit just the person wearing it. It is set in the optimal position determined by the hand doctor. Custom splints are made from a moldable low temperature plastic and formed around the patient’s hand, wrist or finger(s) in the doctor’s office.
Custom splints can also be adjusted for swelling, and remolded as the patient heals to protect the injured area. Custom splints not only mold to the patient’s exact size but also to their injury. Custom splinting is most commonly used to treat conditions like muscle strain, neuritis, tendonitis, joint pain as well as specialized hand surgeries. Ligament injuries often require custom splinting to heal properly.
Custom splints have benefits that you can’t obtain from a standard splint. In addition to providing rest sand immobilization, the custom splint design insures that the appendage is resting in the correct position. Custom splints can also help to mobilize stiff joints, scar tissue and contracted soft tissue that needs motion to heal.
Custom Splinting of the Hand or Wrist for Sports Injury
Custom splinting is particularly important for athletes who rely on protecting and restoring their muscles, ligaments and joints for optimal athletic performance. For athletes, custom splinting ensures the fastest return to their sport, while protecting the injured finger, hand or wrist from further damage.
Customized splinting does more than just stabilize, mobilize and protect – they can also help to rehabilitate by providing therapeutic exercise for the affected areas. Custom splinting can also be designed facilitate the early motion protocols that will with a more successful recovery after surgery.
Custom Splinting of Sports Injury
For competitive athletes, custom splinting often makes the difference between staying in the game and being sidelined. Dr. Rehman works closely with athletic trainers and physical therapists to create splinting protocols that support both healing and performance goals. This collaborative approach helps ensure that athletes receive consistent care across their entire treatment team. And often times the best treatment for these involves splinting or bracing to reduce swelling & pain, and allow the injury to heal.
If have suffered an injury or pain in your fingers, wrist, elbow or arm, contact board certified hand surgeon Doctor Rehman at her Shelby Township or Bloomfield Hills area office for a comprehensive evaluation and consultation. She and her exceptional staff of hand therapists offer custom splinting and advanced treatments and therapies so that you can get back to the sports and activities you love.
