Orthotics

Attention, this section was revised on 08/14/2015! What is an orthosis?

An orthosis is a type of bandage for the wrist and / or the entire hand. The orthosis is used to relieve the hand and, with regard to lunate malacia, is usually used when no operation has yet been performed. But an orthosis can often be used even after an operation.

Some orthopedic surgeons prescribe a cast to immobilize the hand, but this has many disadvantages:

The orthosis weighs almost nothing, a plaster of paris is heavy. A plaster of paris starts to stink after a few days - the orthosis does that too, but you can take it off and wash it carefully (usually max. 30 degrees !!) The most important thing is, that you should not wear the orthosis all the time, otherwise the wrist will stiffen. (However, this only applies after consultation with the attending physician!) You can make it more flexible afterwards with physiotherapy, but it is much better to take off the orthosis more often and move your hand carefully so that it does not become stiff in the first place.

My recommendation is to wear them in everyday life if you easily forget to take care of your hand (e.g. shopping, cycling, gardening) and otherwise take them off (e.g. while watching TV, etc.) and keep moving your hand without strain. (The same applies here: discuss this with the treating doctor beforehand!)

Orthoses are available in medical supply stores and sometimes also in pharmacies or even on the Internet. On prescription, the additional payment varies between 0.00 and 40.00 euros.