Relative motion orthoses: A five-question decision making tool for thinking beyond thermoplastics.

We introduce a five-question decision-making tool for using relative motion in practice. The tool considers the primary aim of the relative motion orthosis, the amount of relative motion required and the number of fingers that should be included. The tool also helps clincians consider the person-specific characteristics that will impact the use of the orthoses, as well as, a variety of materials that could be used to fabricate the relative motion orthosis. Clinical examples demonstrate the use of the decision tool and illustrate the varied use of relative motion orthoses.