OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of a functional splint for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. METHODS Forty patients with a diagnosis of painful trapezio-metacarpal osteoarthritis of the dominant hand were randomized into 2 groups. The study group received the splint at baseline and used it during activities of daily living for 180 days and the control group used the splint only during ...

We report a long-term follow-up of abduction-extension osteotomy of the first metacarpal, performed for painful trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis. Of a consecutive series of 50 operations, 41 thumbs (82%) were reviewed at a mean follow-up of 6.8 years. Good or excellent pain relief was achieved in 80%, and 93% considered that surgery had improved hand function, while 82% had normal grip and pin...

Background Muscle strength is usually measured in individuals with stroke with Portable dynamometers (gold standard). However, no studies have investigated the reliability, the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the minimal detectable difference (MDD95%) of the dynamometry for the measurement of hand grip, pinch grip and trunk strength in subjects with subacute stroke. Objective 1) To in...

BACKGROUND Several clinical measures of sensory and motor function are used alongside patient-rated questionnaires to assess outcomes of carpal tunnel decompression. However there is a lack of evidence regarding which clinical tests are most responsive to clinically important change over time. METHODS In a prospective cohort study 63 patients undergoing carpal tunnel decompression were assess...

OBJECTIVE To assess the quality of life, muscle strength and functional capacity in women with fibromyalgia (FM). PATIENTS AND METHODS Cross-sectional study carried out with 31 female volunteers (age range, 35 to 60 years), paired in two groups (16 with FM, and 15 in the control group). Both groups underwent the following assessments: one-repetition maximum (1RM) of knee flexors and extensors...

BACKGROUND Hand strength deficit following digital replantation is usually attributed to the mechanical deficiency of the replanted digit. Zone 1 replantation, however, should not be associated with any mechanical deficit, as the joint and tendon are intact. We evaluate short-term motor functions in patients who have undergone single-digit zone 1 replantation. METHODS A single-institution ret...

OBJECTIVE To describe the profile of joint mobility and grip and pinch strength of MPS VI patients and to correlate this with urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), ARSB activity, and the distance covered in a 6-minute walking test (6MWT). METHODS This was an observational study of 28 patients with MPS VI, who had not undergone specific treatment. All patients were assessed for ampli...

Hand function was evaluated in 105 patients who had been operated on in early infancy for brachial plexus birth palsy. The mean follow-up after surgery was for 13.4 years (5.0 to 31.5). Fine sensation, stereognosis, grip and pinch strength and the Raimondi scale were recorded. Fine sensation was normal in 34 of 49 patients (69%) with C5-6 injury, 15 of 31 (48%) with C5-7 and in 8 of 25 (32%) wi...

OBJECTIVES Therapists generally describe a person's grasp in terms of normal prehension patterns that have been discussed in the literature. However, the grasp pattern used by a person with a hand impairment may not fit into these patterns. The purpose of this study was to describe, with qualitative classification systems, static grasp patterns used by hands impaired by scleroderma and to deter...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the donor site morbidity of the free ulnar forearm flap (UFF). METHODS Consecutive patients undergoing free UFF between 1982 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. In addition, detailed assessment of hand function and donor site cosmesis was performed in the most recent 50 patients followed up for at least 12 months. RESULTS In all, 62 o...