• Kazuo Saito and Hitoshi Kihara.
• Department of Rehabilitation Center, Fuchinobe General Hospital, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan. Electronic address: kasuo_saitoh@yahoo.co.jp.
• J Hand Ther. 2016 Oct 1; 29 (4): 433-439.

Study DesignA randomized clinical trial, with patients treated either by new 2-step orthosis or by the figure-eight-type orthosis with the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint extended.Purpose Of The StudyTo report on our new orthosis and to evaluate the treatment efficacy of using a 2-step orthosis for the treatment of a mallet finger of tendinous origin compared with a conventional orthosis.MethodsForty-four patients were randomized into the 2-step or conventional orthosis groups. Primary outcomes were active DIP joint flexion and extensor lag, pain, and the Abouna-Brown criteria.ResultsThe 2-step orthosis was associated with a smaller active DIP extensor lag, compared with the conventional orthosis (-7.5 ± 4.5° vs -16.4 ± 6.9°, P = .001), combined with a significantly higher Abouna-Brown criteria (χ2 = 14.57, P = .01). No other between-group differences were identified.ConclusionThe therapeutic effectiveness of the 2-step orthosis, over a conventional orthosis, was supported by a large effect size of the treatment in improving residual active extensor lag at the DIP and overall Abouna-Brown criteria. Our study thus suggested that the initial immobilization involved in new 2-step orthosis and is thus a good immobilization technique.Level Of EvidenceIb.Copyright © 2016 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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