Innovative assistive device to enhance wrist drop treatment in patients

Wrist drop is a global condition that impairs wrist and hand movement, making it challenging for individuals to extend their hands fully. Existing treatments primarily involve medications, surgical procedures, or the use of wrist braces. However, traditional braces offer passive support, relying on elastic properties without aiding rehabilitation. Motorized joint support offers active actuation but comes with limitations such as sensor-triggered controls, continuous power requirements, potential malfunctions, and a lack of complete control. Taking these factors into account, this paper proposed a cost-effective innovative solution involving passive activation, combining support to hold the wrist. The design justifications for incorporating a ratchet-locking mechanism have been explained in detail. The assistive device has mainly two modes; in assistive mode, it supports the hand to move against gravity during exercises whereas in locking mode, this mechanism provides resistance using a ratchet lock and effectively stabilizes the wrist in a predetermined position. This paper also presents a technical evaluation of the proposed design, assessing its functional capabilities and potential impact on wrist drop treatment.