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.