Technical specifications for rehabilitation devices prescribed for leprosy affected - a review

Nerve damage in leprosy affected persons causes significant impairments, if not detected and treated early. Various splints are prescribed and provided to patients while they are undergoing treatment for neuritis, reactions and in pre and post operative tendon transfer surgeries. Leprosy deformities limit activities of daily living in patients, and splints are designed and fabricated with customized modifications to help patients to adapt to their locomotor limitations and to enhance their activities of daily living. Different technical processes and materials are used by the clinicians, therapists and technicians to fabricate these splints in various rural areas of the country. A comprehensive questionnaire, circulated to Leprosy institutions all over India, was used to collect details on the specifications and fabrication techniques of devices. The collation and critical analysis of the data showed that the rehabilitative devices had maximal functional utility in all leprosy affected with impairments, gross deformity and those with limitations in carrying out their activities of daily living. Developing and maintaining a uniform manufacturing process to fabricate rehabilitative devices will enhance institution based patient care and also community based care by providing devices with maximal efficiency at minimal and affordable cost.