5-6 August, 2016
Neurotek
Sydney, Australia
“Splinting” is NOT a Dirty Word! Understand the WHAT, WHY, WHEN and HOW for splinting UL spasticity.
Splinting is all too often thought of as immobilising the hand and not allowing the hand to be involved in function. Splinting is progressive and not a one off solution. What are your options when you are presented with moderate to severe tone in the upper limb? How do we use splints in conjunction with other treatments to assist in the management of increased tone? What type of splint is required and how is it fabricated?
AIMS:
This ‘hands-on’ practical workshop will focus on using thermoplastic and soft upper limb orthotic systems as one part of total programs designed to protect and enhance grasp and release in adults with neurological impairment. Participants will have opportunities to discuss the current evidence base for practice and explore the unanswered questions that remain. The focus of the workshop, however, will be on learning how to design, fabricate, apply and use orthotics to optimise hand function in adults with acquired brain injury. Included will be a review of hand anatomy and the musculoskeletal actions that support hand function, a reasoning algorithm for orthotic prescription, core prescription principles, foundation patterns, fabrication techniques and adaptations and methods to measure outcome. The use of orthotics in conjunction with other interventions will also be discussed. Opportunities will exist for participants to prescribe and fabricate orthoses on each other as well as on people who have neurological impairment affecting the upper limb.
OBJECTIVES:
This workshop is designed for participants who have basic orthotic fabrication skills. The objectives, however, will vary according to the specific knowledge and skills of participants. Each objective may be graded accordingly. Overall, participants will be able to:
1. Summarise the strengths and limitations of existing evidence in this area.
2. Identify core actions and muscles that enable grasp, release and manipulation.
3. Identify critical orthotic components required to support or enhance hand function.
4 Design and fabricate a range of thermoplastic wrist-hand, hand and finger-thumb orthoses and adapt these as required to enhance hand function.
5. Use an orthotic check out form to evaluate fit, function, comfort and appearance.
6. Integrate orthotic intervention into total programs that address reach, grasp and release disorders in adult with neurological impairments.
PRESENTERS:
Dr. Judy Ranka and Ms. Bev Quee.