Supervisor:  Dr. Freyr Patterson 

Co-Supervisors:  Celeste Glasgow

Thesis title:  Enhancing Occupational Performance in Adult Orthopaedic Trauma Patients with Distal Radius Fracture 

Thesis Summary: Distal radius fracture is one of the most common upper limb fractures presenting to our emergency departments and it is frequently treated by occupational therapists with advanced training in hand therapy. Despite advances in surgical technique and hand therapy intervention, a significant number of individuals report long term complications with pain, oedema and stiffness that interferes with their daily activity and occupational performance. This research explores current hand therapy practise in the context of the patient experience and the therapist perspective throughout the rehabilitation journey after distal radius fracture. The research will provide a better understanding of the barriers and facilitators of patient recovery. Most importantly, this research aims to identify additional factors that can serve to enhance the patient experience and perception of their return to pre-injury occupational performance following distal radius fracture.