Tin Ring Splint Treatment for Osteoarthritis of the Distal Interphalangeal Joints

Background: We made a tin ring splint for osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint that looks attractive and is easy to wear. We report the treatment results with this splint. Methods: We enrolled 30 patients with painful osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint in this study. A tin ring splint was made with tin alloy containing small quantities of silver. Patients were instructed to wear the splint when they felt pain. Patients were assessed before splint use and after 1, 3, and 6 months of splint use. Endpoints included the numeric pain scale, active arc of motion of the distal interphalangeal joint, Hand 20, functional assessment criteria of the upper extremities, and treatment satisfaction. In addition, data were collected on time to symptom relief and satisfaction related to usability and appearance of the splint (0 = dissatisfied, 10 = satisfied). Results: The numeric pain scale showed significant pain improvement from 58.4 ± 4.1 at baseline to 33.1 ± 4.5 at 1 month, and the Hand 20 score also showed significant improvement from 35.0 ± 4.3 at baseline to 20.2 ± 3.2 after 6 months. Active arc of motion were not changed significantly. Most patients responded that symptoms were relieved by the 10th day after treatment. Satisfaction related to usability was 8.9 ± 0.3, and appearance was 7.6 ± 0.4. Conclusions: A tin ring splint quickly reduced pain, and satisfaction related to usability and appearance was high. This splint could be one choice for conservative treatment of osteoarthritis of the distal interphalangeal joint.