Dynamic impact response of human cadaveric forearms using a wrist brace

The purpose of this study was to compare the dynamic impact response of braced and unbraced cadaveric wrists using a commercially available wrist guard. Twelve arms were harvested from six cadavers. Each pair of forearms, one with and one without a brace, were impacted using a modified guillotine-type drop fixture placed over a force platform. Using a piece-wise linear regression analysis, we identified four phases of dynamic loading in the vertical force profile before fracture. These phases included an initial linear loading phase starting at impact, followed by a nonlinear phase, a second rapid linear loading phase, and a final nonlinear loading phase to failure. Three transition points were identified that defined the boundaries of the linear loading phases. Vertical force and impulse were significantly higher (P < 0.01) at each transition point and at failure in all braced specimens compared with unbraced specimens. However, the most noticeable differences were found during the initial two loading phases. Time to each transition point and to failure was not significantly different (P > 0.27) between the braced and unbraced wrists. The results of this study differ from those obtained under more quasistatic loading conditions. Dynamic impact testing suggests that wrist guards may have a prophylactic effect during low-energy dynamic impact situations.