Effects of interactive robot-enhanced hand rehabilitation in treatment of paediatric hand-burns: A randomized, controlled trial with 3-months follow-up

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of the robotic-assisted exercise with virtual gaming on total active range of motion (ROM) of the digits, hand grip strength (HGS), and hand function in children with hand burns. Methods: Thirty-three children with burn caused by thermal injury (flame or scald) with the involvement of the wrist and hand, total body surface area (TBSA) <30%, and age between 6-12 years, were included in this study. The patients were randomly allocated to one of the two groups; control group (n = 16; received 60-min of the traditional hand rehabilitation program, three times per week for two successive months) and experimental group (n = 17; engaged in an additional 20 min of interactive robot-enhanced hand rehabilitation besides the traditional rehabilitation). Outcomes measured were the total active ROM of the digits, HGS, and hand function at three occasions during the study: at the baseline, post-treatment, and 3 months follow-up. Results: In the experimental group, results regarding total active (ROM) of the digits, HGS, and hand function were statistically significant in comparison to the control group either after treatment (P < .05, P = .04, and P = .005) respectively or at the follow-up (P < .05, P = .023, and P = .012) respectively favoring the experimental group. Conclusion: The robot-enhanced exercise with virtual gaming can increase total active ROM of the fingers' digits, improve HGS, and hand function in children with hand burns. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.