Fig. 8: Overview of study interventions and virtual rehabilitation environments.
Top row: Patients with traumatic hand injuries (e.g., flexor tendon injuries, fractures of the metacarpal and phalangeal bones, amputations) were randomized in either the control or intervention group. Middle row: Patients in the control group passively watched 360° VR videos. Patients in the intervention group used StableHandVR, an immersive rehabilitation application set in a farm environment operated via optical hand tracking on the Meta Quest 2 and 3. Traffic light hands provided real-time visual and auditory biofeedback about the movement performance. Bottom row: The control group performed repetitive, untargeted, self-paced squeeze–release motions with a soft ball. The intervention group engaged in targeted functional exercises designed to promote specific joint movements (e.g., wrist extension/flexion, thumb opposition), as visualized by the preview hands in grey.
