Motor Response of Mirror Therapy after Reconstruction of Extensor Mechanism Caused by Glass Cut Injury

Abstract

Treatment by mirror therapy (MT) restores motion in injured limbs without invasive procedures. This process is widely accepted for rehabilitating patients with phantom limb pain, stroke victims, or patients who need therapy after nerve damage. The procedure is specifically useful in restoring motion to the hand after surgical repairs to the extensor muscle and tendons. Mirror therapy rewires the brain by making the restored limb remember hand motions by observing the motions of a normal hand. The concept of a mirror image is that the movement of the uninjured arm forms the illusion of the same movement in the affected arm. Efforts to repeat hand movements elicit the same reaction in the affected hand in what is referred to as Hebbian learning. This case study evaluated MT’s effectiveness in motion restoration after a glass injury. This case study showed restoration of normal hand motions in a patient following surgery to repair a glass cut to the arm. Surgery repaired the lacerated extensor tendon and radial nerve. The muscle belly was repaired, and a graft fixed the nerve gap. Once the arm healed, the patient underwent rehabilitation in mirror therapy to restore normal function in his hand. After conducting mirror therapy, the pain was eliminated, and the patient restored normal function of moving the hand and finger extension. In addition, the therapy could be conducted at home without needing a professional. The effectiveness of mirror therapy was seen in the functional restoration of hand and finger movement. The process is also less complicated as it can be performed at home.