Which upper limb orthosis is the wrist-driven prehension orthosis?

Which upper limb orthosis is the wrist-driven prehension orthosis?

• A. Palmar splint
• B. Dorsal wrist splint
• C. Wrist-driven prehension orthosis
• D. Airplane splint

Answer: (C)

This item centers on using the tenodesis principle—where wrist motion drives finger flexion to create a grasp. The wrist-driven prehension orthosis is designed with a linkage from the wrist to the fingers so that extending the wrist pulls the fingers into flexion, producing a grip around objects, and relaxing or flexing the wrist releases the grip. This makes it especially useful for individuals with some wrist extension but limited intrinsic hand function, enabling functional prehension with relatively little separate finger muscle effort. In contrast, a palmar splint holds the hand in a fixed position without enabling dynamic finger flexion from wrist movement, a dorsal wrist splint mainly stabilizes the wrist, and an airplane splint is used for other immobilization goals and does not provide this wrist-to-finger driving mechanism.

This item centers on using the tenodesis principle—where wrist motion drives finger flexion to create a grasp. The wrist-driven prehension orthosis is designed with a linkage from the wrist to the fingers so that extending the wrist pulls the fingers into flexion, producing a grip around objects, and relaxing or flexing the wrist releases the grip. This makes it especially useful for individuals with some wrist extension but limited intrinsic hand function, enabling functional prehension with relatively little separate finger muscle effort. In contrast, a palmar splint holds the hand in a fixed position without enabling dynamic finger flexion from wrist movement, a dorsal wrist splint mainly stabilizes the wrist, and an airplane splint is used for other immobilization goals and does not provide this wrist-to-finger driving mechanism.