The objective of this proposal is to develop and validate a novel wrist brace that reduces the risk for wrist fracture by resisting wrist terminal extension while otherwise allowing unconstrained movement throughout the normal range of motion. The novel wrist brace will be designed, fabricated, and validated in our laboratory under simulated impact conditions. The long-term goal of the product is to determine the efficacy of the brace on snowboarding and in-line skating populations using a prospective, randomized, longitudinal study. Wrist braces offer limited protection against distal radius fractures, yet they have achieved limited acceptance, particularly among youths, because they are bulky and limit normal range of motion. Research has also demonstrated that they do not prevent fractures under high impact energy loading conditions. We postulate that wrist guard usage will increase significantly with a device that is less constraining and which offers increased protection against distal radius fractures.
