A Swedish qualitative study assessed the impact of wearing hand orthoses at rest on the quality of life of eight boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged between 8 and 21 years (median age 17.7 years) and five of their parents, immediately after the intervention, and then, for five of them and three of their parents, at a follow-up after four to fifteen months. Analysis of the responses revealed ten categories of experience grouped into three themes:
- the preconditions for the success of the intervention: cooperation and involvement of carers, adaptation of routines and custom fitting of orthoses ;
- the benefits of the intervention: maintenance of joint mobility, reduction of pain, improvement in functional abilities; and
- hope for the future: preserving the ability to carry out daily activities.
