A critical appraisal of "The effect of corrective splinting on flexion contracture of rheumatoid fingers"

Chronic conditions are becoming more prevalent with our aging population increasingly becoming the majority and the growing use of technology. To answer the clinical question surrounding the effectiveness of splinting for contractures, the article "The Effect of Corrective Splinting on Flexion Contracture of Rheumatoid Fingers"� was appraised for strengths and weaknesses and assessed for credibility. The introduction provides the background and importance of this critical appraisal surrounding the interest in the effectiveness of splinting in treating contractures associated with chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. The methods detail the process of literature review including database selection, key words, limitations, inclusions/exclusions, and initial hit count. The results appraise each section of the article for strengths and weaknesses in order to assess usefulness or possible application of the treatment methods discussed. Overall, this article did not present enough credible evidence to definitively prove splinting is a safe and effective treatment for contractures associated with chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis. However, this article does provide insight and encouragement for further studies to investigate splinting as a promising treatment.