title: Therapy challenges for athletes: splinting options.
abstract: Therapists treating athletes with hand and wrist injuries may be involved in all stages of recovery, from the acute phase to return to sport. This article gives case examples of how creative use of custom and commercially available orthoses, splints, tape, and braces can augment various stages of recovery. Understanding the specific demands of the sport and respect for the standards of care are imperative to fabricating or fitting an athlete with the best device or customization of the athlete's own equipment for a safe return to sport.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Commonwealth University Health Systems, OT/PT Department, Virginia Commonwealth University Upper Extremity and Peripheral Nerve Center, 8700 Stony Point Parkway, Suite 280, Richmond, VA 23235, USA. Electronic address: crussell2@mcvh-vcu.edu.
authors.forename: Carrie R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Russell
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D013165:Splints; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Custom fabricated splint; Orthosis; Protecting injured structure; Return to competition; Sports specific; Tape