belfast regime?

[Laura01]

Anyone enlighten me as to what the belfast regime is?
A patient has just come in with a repair of the FDP of the little finger with instructions to rehab with this regime

thanks
laura

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[physiobob]

I believe it refers to early controlled active mobilisation to reduce adhesions and enhance tensile strength and vascularity to the repair, I think after the initial 3-4 weeks of splinting of course.

Check in some specific hand therapy sites or texts for more information.

[casey]

The Belfast regime is an early active motion protocol post 4-strand repair + epitenous suture of a flexor tendon which allows such motion and also assists in preventing adhesions due to immobilisation. Post repair, the patient (dependent on age and compliance i.e. would not splint a child, would cast), should see a Hand Therapist ASAP and have a dorsal blocking splint (DBS) made with the wrist ~ neutral, MCPJ's flexed to ~ 70 degrees and the IPJ's extended. Following this graduated active motion within the splint is progressed for the first 4/52 followed by coming out of the splint for gentle wrist TGE's and initiation of extension of the MCPJ's to neutral only for a further 2/52 still splinting in between. After 6/52 the splint is disconitnued and exercises are progressed further into light resistance etc. up to the 3/12 mark when the tendon will be fully healed (according to tendon healing timeframes) and there should be no functional limitations. Eatonhand.com is a helpful website, also contacting your local hand therapist, but hope this helps a bit!

[physio.smith]

The last post is fairly comprehensive and agree that the patient needs to see hand therapy specialist asap. Be careful as some surgeons have their own take on what the Belfast regime involves. Ask for their specific requirements, time frames, joint ROM, number and extent of active / passive movements etc.