The effectiveness of therapeutic craft-making activities in treating lower-third forearm fracture: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

TL;DR

This study is testing if adding craft-making to regular therapy helps patients with lower forearm fractures recover better physically and mentally.

Contribution

This is the first study to investigate the added value of therapeutic craft-making in upper limb fracture rehabilitation through a randomized controlled trial.

Findings

The study will assess disability, post-traumatic stress, and physical performance outcomes in patients receiving combined therapy.

Results may influence therapists to adopt craft-making as a supportive intervention in upper limb rehabilitation.

The trial is registered and ongoing, with data collection and analysis planned.

Abstract

Occupational Therapists use craft-making activities as therapeutic interventions to improve physical and psychological functioning of injured people. Despite the therapeutic effects, craft-making is not routinely used in hand rehabilitation as an intervention for patients with upper limb fractures. These patients often experience physical and psychosocial issues; however, without supportive evidence, therapists hesitate to integrate craft-making into upper limb rehabilitation.

This study aims to determine the effect of a conventional therapy combined with therapeutic craft-making on disability, post-traumatic stress, and physical performance in patients with lower-third forearm fractures.

Priori analysis determined that 38 patients will be needed for this superiority randomized controlled trial to be conducted in a hand and upper limb rehabilitation center. Eligible participants must comprehend English, be diagnosed with lower-third forearm fracture(s) stabilized by open reduction internal fixation, and referred to therapy within 2–4 weeks of surgery. Following the CONSORT guidelines, participants will be randomly assigned to a Control (conventional therapy) group or an Intervention (conventional therapy and craft) group. Twice weekly for 6 weeks, Therapist A will provide both groups with 1-h of conventional therapy while the Intervention group will also receive 15 min of craft-making supervised by the Researcher. The primary outcome of disability will be measured with the Quick-Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand. The secondary outcome measurements include the Patient-Rated-Wrist-Evaluation; Impact of Event Scale-revised and physical performance, i.e., the Purdue Pegboard Test, AROM, and grip strength. All outcome measures will be obtained by Therapist B prior to the 1st therapy visit and after the 12th visit. Descriptive analysis will be done for the categorical and continuous data and a mixed model ANOVA for analysis of the initial and final assessment scores within and between groups.

This study is ongoing.

The intent of this study is to determine if therapeutic crafts have value as an intervention when used in combination with conventional therapy for patients with lower-third forearm fractures. If the value of crafts is supported, this evidence may reduce hesitancy of therapists to implement craft-making with patients referred to hand therapy after upper limb fracture.

This study is ongoing.

ANZCTR, ACTRN12622000150741. Retrospectively registered on 28 January 2022 https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=382676&isReview=true..

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-024-08008-w.

Figures