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Proprioceptive Training Following a Wrist Fracture

Effectiveness of a Global Proprioceptive Training After Wrist Fracture

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06132646
Enrollment
28
Registered
2023-11-15
Start date
2024-01-07
Completion date
2024-09-01
Last updated
2023-11-15

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Wrist Fractures, Pain

Keywords

Proprioceptive exercises, Function, Wrist fracture

Brief summary

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to compare how a program of proprioceptive exercises for the wrist could influence in pain, functionality and quality of life in people that have suffered a wrist fracture. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Evaluate the effect of a specific proprioceptive program on pain and functionality. * Study the relationship between proprioception deficit and functionality. Intervention will be: * Control group: participants of this group are going to receive only standard rehabilitation program after wrist fracture. * Experimental group: participants of this group are going to receive standard rehabilitation program after distal radius fracture and a specific proprioceptive program. Researchers will compare control and experimental group to see if a implantation of a proprioceptive program for the wrist has benefits on pain, function and quality of life.

Detailed description

Distal radius fracture (DRF) is one of the most frequent injuries in the upper limb, corresponding to 1/6 of the total fractures of the body. It appears mostly in \>50 years old women (due to osteoporosis and menopause) but it is also frequent in middle age men as a consequence of a big trauma during sport activities or working. This injury can be treated conservative of surgically, but regardless of the treatment, it always has a period of immobilization between 3 and 6 weeks. The term proprioception was firstly described by Sherrington in 1906 as perception of body position and movement. The presence and quantity of mechanoreceptors in the joint determine its proprioceptive capacity. In the 1990s, the presence of mechanoreceptors on the wrist was described, and subsequent studies allowed us to determine that the dorsal and ulnar ligaments of the wrist have a rich innervation of mechanoreceptors. With these findings, we can hypothesize various clinical applications, both for working on wrist proprioception in the early stages of proprioceptive reeducation without risking tissue damage and for neuromuscular work after fracture consolidation, with the goal of regaining fluid and balanced movement. Previous studies on the ankle, knee, and shoulder have shown that the implementation of a proprioceptive program in the rehabilitation process can improve traumatic instability and pain. Given that the wrist shares similarities with these joints in terms of proprioceptive innervation, we can hypothesize that a specific proprioceptive exercise program for the wrist may be beneficial in the recovery after a wrist fracture.

Interventions

Specific proprioceptive exercises for the wrist that the patient has to do currently with standard rehabilitation.

Sponsors

University of Malaga
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)

Masking description

Participants will be anonymized with a number and randomized with a web program (random.org)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Adult (equal or more than 18 y/o). * Suffering a wrist fracture and have passed immobilization period. * Agree and sign informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

* Not had suffered a wrist fracture, being in the immobilization period or not authorized by his/her orthopedic surgeon to start with rehabilitation. * Suffer any mental, cognitive, neurological or musculoskeletal disorder. * Previous injury or pathology of the upper limb affected. * Previos surgery on the upper limb affected. * Have cervical pathology/impairment. * Suffering from blindness.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Change in function related with daily living activitiesBaseline, 4 weeks and 3 months.Measured with QuickDASH. 11 items, 0=no disability and 100= total disability
Change in perception of pain, referred to wristBaseline, 4 weeks and 3 monthsPain measured with Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) 0= no pain and 10=worst pain
Change in hand and wrist function related with difficulties in performing daily living activitiesBaseline, 4 weeks and 3 monthsMeasured with Patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE). 15 items in 2 subscales, function (10 items) and pain (5 items). Punctuation could be from 0 to 50 in each subscale, where 50 points means worse pain/function.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Changes in proprioception, position termsBaseline, 4 weeks and 3 monthsMeasured with Joint Position Sense Test (JPST).
Change in range of motion of the wristBaseline, 4 weeks and 3 months.Active range of motion of the wrist in all planes of motion. Assessed with a goniometer.
Changes in proprioception, strength termsBaseline, 4 weeks and 3 monthsMeasured with Force Sense Test
Change in strengthBaseline, 4 weeks and 3 months.GRIP force. Assessed with a Jamar Dynamometer.
Change in Perception of Quality of lifeBaseline, 4 weeks and 3 monthsEuroQol-5D. It has 5 dimensions, mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain and anxiety and depression. Patient determines the level of agreement with the affirmations (3 options).

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026