Clinical relevance commentary in response to: Relative motion orthoses in the management of various hand conditions: A scoping review

• Published in: Journal of hand therapy 2016-10, Vol.29 (4), p.505-506
• Main Author: Szekeres, Mike, PhD(c), OT Reg (Ont), CHT
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Clinical Decision-Making; Decision making; Equipment Design - methods; Female; Finger Injuries - diagnosis; Finger Injuries - rehabilitation; Follow-Up Studies; Hand - physiopathology; Hand Injuries - diagnosis; Hand Injuries - rehabilitation; Humans; Injuries; Male; Occupational Therapists - statistics & numerical data; Orthotic Devices - utilization; Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Quality; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Range of Motion, Articular - physiology; Recovery of Function - physiology; Studies; Therapy; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0894-1130; 1545-004X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jht.2016.09.003

Scoping reviews are intended to map out the landscape of the existing literature on a subject and are used effectively when the concept is broad, has several potential clinical applications, and has not been studied in detail.1 They differ from systematic reviews, where the focus in usually on a well-defined question and includes a detailed assessment of the quality of studies within.2 In general, scoping reviews are usually not appropriate for answering a clinical question but rather are used to identify gaps in the literature and provide a direction for future research. The authors of this article seek to critically examine the scope of evidence supporting the use of RM in the treatment of various hand and finger injuries, the details surrounding finger positioning, and orthotic designs by injury type.