TAP splint?

[SarahR]

My daughter has a lot of difficulty with supination so Lisa D. at TCH suggested we try a TAP splint. I found the info to order one on Francine's website (thank you Francine for having such a great site!). Does anyone have any experience with them? Or any other splints for supination? Emma is only 3 months old so she will need a really tiny splint.

Thanks,
Sarah

[blakesmom]

Blake used one when he was 2yrs old. It helped to keep the arm in supination, but kept him from doing as much with the arm so we discontinued use. Your therapist would probably need to measure Emma to insure a good fit, also insurance will probably pay for it. It cost $35. Hope this helped.

[browning93]

For a child that young the splint may have to be made by you or the therapist. Michaela's hand and wrist were always so small we had to make our own. At first the therapist made a pattern and told me what to do and supplied me with neoprene and I brought it home and sewed it myself. As she got older and needed different splints I got to where I could just look at one and draw it in construction paper and take it from there. I have made so many different sizes and sorts of splints and other contraptions. Michaela needed help with elbow extension so we even made a "skate" for her hand and had her knock down blocks with it. She loved that game. I guess what I'm trying to say is it helps to be creative or have someone close to you who is. So if you can't find what you need in a catalog talk to your therapist,she may have other ideas.LeeAnne

[francine]

Sarah - in the normal realm of development, supination does not occur until 11 months. Figured I'd tell you that so you don't panic too early.

When Emma gets older if supination is still a problem this type of splint 'may' help however, supination is a complicated movement (as we have learned) and inability to supinate can come from MANY different reasons.

At the picnics when they have the whole team there - it's really great because sometimes an OT comes along and you can get the opinion of both the specialist AND the OT at the same time and they'll figure out the best route for something. It also may require some scans or xrays later on to rule out or in some reasons for not supinating.

So at least for now - as your therapist about the developmental time frame for supination, etc.

-francine

[francine]

as your therapist = ask your therapist

[SarahR]

Thanks for the feedback.

We're going to the Ohio picnic, and I hear TCH is sending a team. I'm looking forward to being able to put faces to voices and names.

I guess what I'm worried about is how much Emma's hand is turning in (pronation). Her OT did tell me that supination is hard and may take a long time. I just don't want the pronation to get worse. I don't want to rush her, but I also worry about how far her hand turns the other way. It seems like it will be more difficult to be able to do supination if her hand is in pronation so much. Does that make sense?

We do supination exercises a lot, but they don't seem to be helping much yet. I also move her arm with her hand in a neutral position. One of her favorites is when I show her that the fingers on her injured arm taste just as good as those on her other hand

[claudia]

For those of you who have been around for a while you will know this splint--the McKie. It is this little, soft splint that goes over the thumb and wraps around the arm. It comes in fun colors and is very inexpensive. We used it for Juliana, who was extremely internally rotated. It does not really bother the hand, and is so simple to use. I used to have the sheet handy, but I can't seem to find it. Maybe Francine has it on her website...??? Hope it helps-claudia

[SarahR]

We decided to go with a McKie splint. It's great that they come in such small sizes! With the supinator strap, they look almost identical to the TAP splints.

Thanks again for all the input.

Sarah

[karen r]

Elizabeth's arm/hand were in the classic waiter's tip. She had primary at 5 mo. and, slowly but surely, it started to improve. She was in neutral for a long time. Last April at 34 mo. old she had a secondary surgery that did a slight release under the pectoralis major and scar tissue removal from a number of nerves in her upper arm (they went in through the armpit). She never had the mod quad. Now, 11 mo. after the secondary surgery, we're seeing supination! We're getting biceps! We're slowly seeing the results of last April's surgery and it looks like it worked. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is usually a long haul. I hope the splint helps Emma. I remember, when Elizabeth was in her high chair, we'd do lots of whipped cream drawing at the table, lots of licking those little chubby fingers, lots of pincer grasping of cheerios. I'd give anything to go back and hold my kids as babies again. (sigh)

We can't wait to meet you in June. Emma will love the zoo!