Improved Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scores after myoelectric arm orthosis use at home in chronic stroke: A retrospective study.

Abstract

Most stroke survivors have persistent upper limb impairments after completing standard clinical care. The resulting impairments can adversely affect their quality of life and ability to complete self-care tasks and remain employed, leading to increased healthcare and societal costs. A myoelectric arm orthosis can be used effectively to support the affected weak arm and increase an individual's use of that arm. The study objective was to retrospectively evaluate the outcomes and clinical benefits provided by the MyoPro® orthosis in individuals 65 years and older with upper limb impairment secondary to a stroke. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire was administered to individuals who have chronic stroke both before and after receiving their myoelectric orthosis. A Generalized Estimating Equation model was analyzed. After using the MyoPro, 19 individuals with chronic stroke had a mean improvement (decrease) in DASH score of 18.07, 95% CI = (-25.41, -10.72), adjusted for 8 covariates. This large change in DASH score was statistically significant and clinically meaningful as participants self-reported an improvement with engagement in functional tasks. Use of the MyoPro increases independence in functional tasks as reported by the validated DASH outcome measure for older participants with chronic stroke.