Comparative effectiveness of three splints for rehabilitation after finger flexor tendon repair (FIRST): randomised controlled trial.

In 430 participants after primary repair of zone 1 and 2 finger flexor tendons, PRWHE outcomes at follow-up showed no statistically significant differences among long, short, and mini splints.

• Why it matters: Clinicians need evidence on which splint best supports rehabilitation after zone 1–2 flexor tendon repair, but comparative effectiveness across common splint types remained uncertain.
• What they did: In a pragmatic, parallel-group randomized trial across 26 UK hospitals, participants were assigned 1:1:1 to long, Manchester short, or relative motion flexion (mini) splints and followed using intention-to-treat PRWHE scores at 6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks.
• The result: Adjusted between-group PRWHE differences were small and not significant (e.g., long vs short: 0.3, P=0.88; long vs mini: 2.3, P=0.19; short vs mini: 2.0, P=0.25), with serious adverse events occurring in 10–11% across groups.