Exercises using a touchscreen tablet application improved functional ability more than an exercise program prescribed on paper in people after surgical carpal tunnel release: a randomised trial

50 patients who underwent an open carpal tunnel release surgical procedure for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome were randomized to receive 4 weeks of a touchscreen-based exercise therapy delivered on the ReHand tablet application, or a paper-delivered home-based exercise therapy. Treatment programs were performed at least 5 times per week. The primary outcome of interest was functional ability, measured with the QuickDASH questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included pain (measured on a Visual Analog Scale), dexterity (measured with the nine hole peg test) and grip strength. Results from the study revealed a significantly larger improvements in QuickDASH score in the tablet app group compared to the control group. However, there were no significant differences in the improvement of the grip strength, VAS pain score, or nine hole peg test outcomes.