Introducing a Simple Tool of Patient Self-Assessment of Wrist Range of Motion

TL;DR

This paper introduces a self-assessment tool for measuring wrist range of motion, offering a cost-effective solution for telemedicine in hand rehabilitation.

Contribution

A self-designed goniometer template is proposed for patient self-measurement of wrist ROM with comparable accuracy to standard methods.

Findings

The self-designed goniometer showed minimal differences in ulnar abduction measurements compared to specialists.

Deviations were more notable in radial abduction, extension, and flexion, but still within acceptable limits for telemedicine use.

The tool provides a cost-effective and reliable alternative for remote range of motion assessment.

Abstract

Hand disorders can reduce wrist range of motion (ROM). The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic highlighted challenges in routine follow-up exams, making telemedicine a viable solution. This study evaluates the feasibility and accuracy of patient self-measured wrist ROM using a self-designed goniometer template. The template was designed to measure flexion/extension and radial/ulnar abduction movements. A cohort of 50 adults (25 males/25 females) participated in this prospective study. The exclusion criteria included wrist immobilization and ages outside of 18–65 years. Participants self-assessed their wrist ROM with the goniometer template. Measurements were independently performed by a student and a specialist using standard goniometry, as well as a resident using the self-designed goniometer. The results were blinded for unbiased analysis. Mean differences in ROM varied across movement directions, with minimal differences for ulnar abduction and more substantial deviations for radial abduction, extension and flexion. The patient–specialist comparison showed deviations below 5 degrees for flexion and ulnar abduction in 50% of cases. Telemedicine, expanded by the COVID-19 pandemic, offers significant potential for hand rehabilitation. Current methods of ROM assessment lack cost-effectiveness and simplicity. Our method, demonstrating comparable accuracy for most movements, provides a cost-effective, reliable alternative for remote ROM assessment, enhancing telemedicine practices in hand rehabilitation.

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