Association of Early Stepwise Rehabilitation Nursing with Wrist Function and Pain Outcomes After Wrist Arthroscopy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Wrist arthroscopy is widely used as a minimally invasive treatment for wrist disorders. Postoperative rehabilitation is an important component of functional recovery. Conventional rehabilitation often follows a relatively uniform schedule and relies primarily on pharmacological pain management; consequently, stage-specific and individual needs may not be fully addressed. This single-center retrospective cohort analysis compared observed postoperative outcomes between patients receiving early stepwise rehabilitation care and those receiving the traditional rehabilitation model. The intervention group (n = 94) adopted a phased rehabilitation plan in which training intensity was dynamically adjusted according to the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), with additional physical therapy, psychological support, and family participation. The conventional group received conventional rehabilitation. At 3 and 6 months postoperatively, the intervention group showed higher Modified Mayo Wrist Score (MMWS), greater range of motion (ROM), stronger grip strength, and lower NRS scores than the conventional group (P < 0.001). Postrehabilitation complications were numerically less frequent in the intervention group than in the conventional group, but the difference was not statistically significant (6.4% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.080). The intervention group also showed higher postrehabilitation sensory conduction velocity (SCV), motor conduction velocity (MCV), and sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude, shorter two-point discrimination distance, lower Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores, higher rehabilitation compliance, and higher satisfaction than the conventional group (P < 0.05). Early stepwise rehabilitation was associated with more favorable functional, pain, neurophysiological, sensory, psychological, adherence, and satisfaction outcomes; however, given the single-center retrospective design and non-random treatment allocation, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causal effectiveness.