Orthotic Design and Fabrication for the Upper Extremity: A Practical Guide

Orthotic Design and Fabrication for the Upper Extremity: A Practical Guide by Drs. Katherine Schofield and Deborah Schwartz is a unique guide that illustrates orthotic design and fabrication in a clear step-by-step fashion by presenting printed textual material along with instructional videos. The first chapters lay the foundation for orthotic design and detail the anatomical knowledge and background information that is required before molding orthoses on clients. Each chapter explores a specific part of the upper extremity, describes several common clinical diagnoses, and highlights typical orthoses that might be utilized to immobilize and protect it. Together, these chapters communicate core, foundational knowledge for the use of orthoses as an intervention in occupational therapy practice.


The instructional videos also emphasize the application of biomechanical, anatomic, and clinical constructs in orthotic design, fabrication, and evaluation. The textbook and video content work together enabling students and entry-level practitioners to learn with visual and versatile resources. University faculty members will gain access to ample activities and exercises to augment their classroom and laboratory teaching. This allows for more efficient use of time and appeals to the learning styles of current and future students.

This text includes:

• Chapters devoted to specific type of orthosis for parts of the upper extremity linked to step -by -step instructional videos
• Case studies to promote a grasp of the knowledge and application to the development of clinical reasoning skills
• Multiple choice and short answer review questions and activities for most chapters
• Presentation of current evidence to support the use of the specific orthoses in clinical practice
• Patterns that can be replicated and check out sheets to critique each orthosis

The combination of text materials and instructional video material makes Orthotic Design and Fabrication for the Upper Extremity: A Practical Guide a uniquely valuable resource for occupational therapy students, new graduates, and novice clinicians.

Katherine Schofield, DHS, OTR/L, CHT is an Associate Professor and Assistant Program Director for Midwestern University’s Occupational Therapy Program in Glendale, Arizona. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy in 1988 at the University of Alberta in Canada, her certification in hand therapy in 1993, as well as a Masters in Health Science degree in 2009 and a Doctorate in Health Science degree in 2012, both from the University of Indianapolis. Since beginning her career in 1988, Dr. Schofield has worked in physical rehabilitation, acute care, and outpatient upper extremity orthopedics. Dr. Schofield has more than 30 years of experience as a practicing clinician. She has presented at numerous local, state, national, and international conferences and postgraduate educational venues on various topics pertaining to upper extremity rehabilitation. She has publications in peer-reviewed journals on anatomy content and teaching pedagogy for occupational therapy students and orthotic instructional strategies. Dr. Schofield began her career at Midwestern University in 2000 as an adjunct professor while concurrently managing an outpatient hand therapy clinic. She has been a full-time professor since 2007. She is currently a member of the American Society of Hand Therapists, the American Occupational Therapy Association, the Arizona Occupational Therapy Association, and a past member of the American Association of Hand Surgeons.


Deborah Schwartz, OTD, OTR/L, CHT is a hand therapist with over 34 years of experience as a practicing clinician. She works with Orfit Industries America to promote product awareness and splinting education. Debby is an active member of American Society of Hand Therapists and has participated in International Federation of Societies for Hand Therapy meetings as well. She has presented on a variety of hand therapy topics both at national and international conferences and has written a number of articles for hand therapy publications, including the British Journal of Hand Therapy, ADVANCE for OT, www.exploringhandtherapy.com, and several research studies for the Journal of Hand Therapy. Debby regularly conducts splinting workshops for beginner, intermediate, and advanced splinting as well as introductory classes for occupational therapy students in university programs. Debby completed her doctoral studies in Occupational Therapy at Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah. She is currently writing several book chapters for hand therapy references.