ANALYSIS OF THE FOREARM AND HAND FUNCTIONING IN PATIENTS WITH POST-IMMOBILIZATION WRIST JOINT CONTRACTURE

Objectives: to determine the effectiveness of the developed program of physical therapy on the results of the parameters of the functioning of the forearm and wrist in patients with post-mobilization contractures of the wrist joint. Methods. 56 people with post immobilization contracture of the wrist joint were examined. Patients were divided into two groups: a comparison group (29 people), in which a rehabilitation program was conduct-ed according to the principles of outpatient rehabilitation. The main group (27 people) consisted of people undergoing rehabilitation according to the developed physical therapy program. The developed program lasted 2 months, was introduced during the outpatient rehabilitation phase and consisted of the following components: - The author's combination of a warm moist compress in combination with post-isometric relaxation of the muscles of the forearm and hand; - Massage of the wrist, wrist joint, forearm, shoulder - Еlectrical stimulation - Kinesiotherapy: functional training of the muscles of the forearm, hand; - Position treatment using individual dynamic orthoses for the wrist joint; - Kinesio taping of the forearm and hand. To determine the degree of functional impair-ment, an Action Research Arm Test and a French Arm Test were performed. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated in dynamics before and after the introduction of the results of comparing the state of a healthy and injured upper limb in each patient. Results. When determining the functional state of the forearm and hand according to the results of the Action Research Arm Test, it was determined that the subtest “Rough hand movements” (p <0.05 relative to all samples of a healthy limb) was characterized by the least disturbance in both groups. All other components of the test were spherical, cylindrical, plucked grips were significantly worsened relative to the corresponding index of a healthy hand (p> 0.05). Examination using the French Arm Test re-vealed low functional capabilities of the distal parts of the injured upper limbs, which was manifested in com-plications or inability to complete all test tasks. Repeated examination of patients with post im-mobilization contracture of the wrist joint showed signif-icant advantages of the created physical therapy pro-gram. So, when determining the dynamics of subtests of the Action Research Arm Test, a statistically signifi-cant improvement in the parameters of the main group was determined not only relative to the initial indicators, but also the data of the comparison group (p <0.05). The best dynamics was characterized by subtests of cylindri-cal and plucked grips, according to which it was possible to achieve the values of a healthy hand. The dynamics of the results of the French Arm Test also showed the advantage of the developed rehabilitation program. Patients of the main group showed a statistically significant improvement in the functioning of the arm compared to the initial test and the parameters of the comparison group for all tests performed (p <0.05). Conclusions. A comprehensive physical thera-py program was developed that found a statistically significant better effect on the functioning of the forearm and hand based on the results of tests of the functions of the arm and Franchay compared to the outpatient rehabilitation program.