Effect of personalized wrist orthosis for wrist pain with three-dimensional scanning and printing technique: A preliminary, randomized, controlled, open-label study

Background: Three-dimensional printer technology can produce the personalized orthosis in various forms. Objective: To develop a personalized wrist orthosis using a three-dimensional scanner and three-dimensional printer for patients with wrist pain. Study design: A preliminary, prospective, randomized, open-label study. Methods: A total of 22 patients with wrist pain were randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups. The control group wore a cock-up orthosis and the experimental group wore a three-dimensional-printed wrist orthosis for 1 week. The Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation, Jebsen Hand Function Test, and Orthotics and Prosthetics Users’ Survey were checked before and 1 week after the application. Results: The Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation showed significant pain relief in both groups. Two items of the 28 Orthotics and Prosthetics Users’ Survey questions, “Put toothpaste on brush and brush teeth” and “Dial a touch tone phone,” showed high satisfaction scores, with statistically significant difference in the experimental group (p = 0.036 and 0.004). Conclusion: The three-dimensional-printed wrist orthosis was superior to the cock-up orthosis for two items of the Orthotics and Prosthetics Users’ Survey. Wrist pain was reduced in the group wearing the three-dimensional-printed wrist orthosis as well as the group wearing the cock-up orthosis, so the three-dimensional-printed wrist orthosis could possibly play the same role as the cock-up orthosis. Clinical relevance: A three-dimensional-printed wrist orthosis can be a substitute for a conventional ready-made wrist orthosis for patients with wrist pain with more satisfaction.