Confecção de órteses para membros superiores em adultos com disfunções físicas em um projeto de extensão de terapia ocupacional

Abstract

The high prevalence of hand injuries and diseases has a significant impact on people's occupational performance and occupational therapy intervention plays a crucial role in promoting rehabilitation and improving their quality of life. Introduction: The manufacture and prescription of orthoses in an individualized and personalized way seeks to maximize the functionality, autonomy and social participation of these individuals, with a view to resuming daily activities and reintegrating them into meaningful occupations. Objectives: The research aims to identify the demands and establish a relationship between the types of orthoses made and the diagnoses presented by the participants assisted during the occupational therapy extension project called “ Manufacture of Orthoses for Upper Limbs in Adults with Physical Dysfunctions” carried out in a Health Unit linked to a Federal University in the interior of São Paulo. Methodology: This is a quantitative and descriptive study, which analyzes the relationships between variables using standardized data collection techniques, for which we will use the records of the extension project's census notebook, from June 2017 to June 2023. The main instrument will be data collection, which in turn will include information such as age, diagnosis and type of orthosis made. Results: The average age of the patients treated was 54.8 years, with the lowest age being 15 and the highest 85. With regard to the total number of orthoses (n=225) devices made according to the data collected from the Extension Project's Orthosis Census, the most commonly made were cock-up orthoses, type eight orthoses and dynamic orthoses. The most common diagnoses were carpal tunnel syndrome, various injuries and trigger fingers. Conclusions: The importance of ongoing research into data on the manufacture of upper limb orthoses in the practice of occupational therapists was noted. This study has limitations, as the orthosis census records had some inconsistent information, and only one health unit's extension project was analyzed. Future studies could include more projects and/or health units in order to gain a better understanding of the most common orthoses and diagnoses.