OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of using a robotic exoskeletal hand (RMT) combined with mirror therapy (MT) in hand rehabilitation for poststroke patients, compared to conventional MT. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Outpatient Clinic. PARTICIPANTS: Forty poststroke subjects. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were divided into 2 groups: one received robotic exoskeletal hand therapy combined with mirror therapy (RMT plus MT), and the other received conventional MT. The intervention lasted for 6 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hand motor function abilities were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment for Upper Extremities (FMA-UE)-Hand Motor Domain, and finger dexterity was evaluated with the Nine-Hole Peg Test (NHPT). RESULTS: The RMT group showed significant improvement in hand motor function, with a median FMA-UE-Hand Motor Domain score increasing from 6 to 14 (p = 0.000). Finger dexterity also improved significantly in the RMT group (p = 0.000). The conventional MT group demonstrated significant improvements in both the FMA-UE-Hand Motor Domain (p = 0.001) and NHPT (p = 0.000). However, the RMT group achieved greater improvements, with significant differences between the 2 groups in both FMA-UE-Hand Motor Domain (p = 0.038) and NHPT (p = 0.026) scores. CONCLUSIONS: RMT is significantly more effective in restoring hand motor skills and improving finger dexterity in patients with poststroke rehabilitation compared to conventional MT.

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