Purpose: There is no consensus on the best protocol for splint wear in the non-operative management of de Quervain tendinopathy. This study aimed to determine if there is a difference between prescription of strict splint wear compared to selective splint wear in patients with de Quervain tendinopathy. We tested the primary null hypothesis that there is no difference in upper-extremity disability eight weeks after initiating splinting between patients prescribed full-time or as-desired splint wear. Secondary study questions addressed differences in grip strength, pain intensity, and treatment satisfaction. Additionally, we evaluated the influence of psychological factors on disability.
Methods: Eighty-three patients diagnosed with de Quervain tendinopathy were randomly allocated into two different splint-wearing instructions: full-time wear (N = 43) or as-desired wear (N = 40). At enrollment, patients had grip strength measured and completed measures of upper-extremity disability, pain intensity, and psychological distress. An average of 7.5 weeks later, patients returned for a second visit. Analysis was by intention-to-treat and with use of mean imputation for missing data.
Results: Fifty-eight patients (70 %; 26 in the full-time cohort and 32 in the as-desired cohort) completed the study. There were no statistically significant differences in disability (p = 0.77), grip strength (p = 0.82), pain intensity (p = 0.36), and treatment satisfaction (p = 0.91) between patients instructed to wear the splint full-time and those instructed to use it as desired. Disability at final evaluation correlated significantly with baseline levels of pain anxiety (p = 0.008), catastrophic thinking (p = 0.001), and symptoms of depression (p < 0.001). The best multivariable linear regression model included symptoms of depression alone and accounted for 32 % of the variability in disability (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: There is no difference in patient-reported outcomes and grip strength with prescription of full-time or as-desired splinting, and patients can wear the splint as they prefer. These results suggest that splinting for de Quervain tendinopathy is palliative at best and strict rest is not disease modifying.