The development of the Kitasato thumb splint as a conservative therapy treatment for patients with thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthropathy

Orthoses are devices that are applied externally to help in the rehabilitation of specific bones or joints. Dr Shuichi Sasaki, Department of Rehabilitation, Kitasato University Hospital, Japan, and his team is working to develop a new orthosis for repatriating thumb arthropathies called the Kitasato thumb splint. It is designed to improve usability of the thumb joint, especially in cases of thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthropathy, by taking into consideration the thumb CMC joint structure. It exerts force at the base of the CMC joint to move the thumb into the correct joint alignment, improving symptoms for patients. With the Kitasato thumb splint, Sasaki and the team are also eager to provide patients with an alternative to surgery as they believe that the use of more conservative measures with orthoses can prove effective and also prevent costly surgery. The Kitasato thumb splint is made of a low-temperature thermoplastic knit material and can be assembled in as little as 10 minutes, quickly and conveniently providing patients with additional support during painful daily tasks. In his work, Sasaki and the team are looking at orthoses used to treat thumb CMC osteoarthritis and analysing the pressure on CMC joints using quantitative analysis. So far, the Kitasato thumb splint has been found to help in pain reduction and improvements in the activities of daily living in patients with mild cases (Eaton Classifications I to II) of thumb CMC joints and to also provide some improvement in severe cases (Eaton Classifications III-IV).