This splint was designed by Ann McKie, an occupational therapist who worked with developmentally disabled children in northeastern Minnesota. The design for the splint was, she says, divinely inspired by love for the children she served. 

In October 1996, the U.S. Patent Office granted her patent.  McKie completed her masters thesis research on the splint's effectiveness in 1997.  In 1998, she received her Masters in Therapeutic Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. 

McKie Splints, LLC was formed at the urging of therapists and parents of children who had used the first splint prototypes.  The splint utilizes the concepts of balancing muscle pull and strengthening weaker muscles through everyday use, which are emergent concepts in the field of neurorehab.

The splint is now being used by infants, children, and adults.  It has a variety of applications including cerebral palsy (C.P.), stroke, Erb's Palsy (Brachial Plexus Injury) orthopedic conditions,thumb pain, and cumulative trauma.