Sylvain CELERIER is a member of the French Society of Hand Therapists (GEMMSOR) working since January 2001 on the multi-disciplinary team at the European Hand Institute of Nancy - France ; PT registered, splintmaker, hand specialist in custom-made splints for hand injuries (traumatic, rheumatoïd, rheumatic...).

The role of this site is to show all of the different splints and how they are used in our clinic.

You can find many explanations such as :
- patient information
- help with splint prescriptions
- french legislation
- publications and bibliography
- national and international events
- slide presentation
- personal pictures...

A splint is a therapeutic agent like a medecine, which belongs to the rehabilitation and readaptation physical treatments category.
Preferably, the splints are custom-made for each patients, depending on personal and professionnel profiles.
It's a treatment for one or many lesions. Knowledge of the anatomy will allow appropriate treatment.
It's important to respect clinical signs like pain, inflammation or fragile skin.
It must respect many pathological rules, according to the objectives of the splint : pain reduction, joint stabilisation, tendon sutures protection, prevention of deformities, prevention of edema, immobilisation, correction, deficient moteur aid, motion range recuperation, compression, posture...

It's important to distinguish between static and dynamic splints.
Static splints are the base of dynamic splints which are made by adding a motor.
We use some compressive splints such as the finger splint and gloves.

Publication (2008)

Rehabilitation and splinting of the hand ans wrist in rheumatoïd arthritis during the medical and surgical treatment.
CELERIER Sylvain, ISEL Micheline, MERLE Michel

Abstract: Given the complexity of wrist and digital deformities, rehabilitation and re-adaptation, in complement with medical and surgical therapies, play an integral part in the multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Regardless of the evolutionary stage of disease, the objective is to limit the many consequences of the disease felt in the patient’s daily life, preserving comfort, increasing functional autonomy, and limiting aesthetic embarrassment thus allowing patients to lead a normal life, in both their social and professional spheres.
The importance of rehabilitation varies according to the evolution of the disease, from the beginning inflammatory phases, to the deformation phase, and eventually the medical and surgical stages. The latest innovations in digital arthroplasty increase the chance of early mobilization thus helping to limit the fatigability of these multi-operated patients. Specific bracing and rehabilitation protocols remain indissociable to this strategy.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, physical therapy, splint, hand, wrist, self rehabilitation, digital arthroplasty

EMC (Elsevier Masson SAS, Paris)
Kinésithérapie-Médecine physique-Réadaptation, 26-220-B30,2008
www.em-consulte.com/article/69117