STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the hand function of C6 and C7 tetraplegics 1 - 16 years after injury. SETTING: Patients were assessed in their homes. METHODS: Medical records of patients admitted to the Prince Henry Hospital Spinal Injuries Unit between 1984 and 1999 were used to identify all patients with C6 or C7 tetraplegia at 3 months post injury. Sixty-five patients (107 hands) were identified in this way. Forty-seven patients (81 hands) were located and agreed to partake in the study, and seven (nine hands) had died. Thus 81% of patients (83% of hands) still alive at follow-up were assessed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Unilateral hand function was assessed with the Grasp and Release Test (GRT) and a 10 item Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Test. Prevalance and severity of contractures, lateral grasp (key grip) strength and extensibility of the extrinsic finger flexor muscles were also determined. RESULTS: All hands except one had been managed without surgical intervention. The median number of ADL tasks successfully completed was 9/10 (interquartile range=8 - 10) and the median number of objects successfully manipulated in the GRT was 3/6 (IQ range=3 - 5). Lateral grasp was poor (74% and 75% of hands could not use a lateral grasp to move the paperweight or depress the fork in the GRT, respectively), and the prevalence of contractures was low (53% of hands had full passive range of motion). CONCLUSION: In the long term, most C6 and C7 tetraplegics attain a high level of hand function despite poor lateral grasps.
STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the hand function of C6 and C7 tetraplegics 1 - 16 years after injury. SETTING:Patients were assessed in their homes. METHODS: Medical records of patients admitted to the Prince Henry Hospital Spinal Injuries Unit between 1984 and 1999 were used to identify all patients with C6 or C7 tetraplegia at 3 months post injury. Sixty-five patients (107 hands) were identified in this way. Forty-seven patients (81 hands) were located and agreed to partake in the study, and seven (nine hands) had died. Thus 81% of patients (83% of hands) still alive at follow-up were assessed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Unilateral hand function was assessed with the Grasp and Release Test (GRT) and a 10 item Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Test. Prevalance and severity of contractures, lateral grasp (key grip) strength and extensibility of the extrinsic finger flexor muscles were also determined. RESULTS: All hands except one had been managed without surgical intervention. The median number of ADL tasks successfully completed was 9/10 (interquartile range=8 - 10) and the median number of objects successfully manipulated in the GRT was 3/6 (IQ range=3 - 5). Lateral grasp was poor (74% and 75% of hands could not use a lateral grasp to move the paperweight or depress the fork in the GRT, respectively), and the prevalence of contractures was low (53% of hands had full passive range of motion). CONCLUSION: In the long term, most C6 and C7 tetraplegics attain a high level of hand function despite poor lateral grasps.
Authors: Victoria A Stahl; Heather B Hayes; Cathrin M Buetefisch; Steven L Wolf; Randy D Trumbower Journal: Exp Brain Res Date: 2014-12-16 Impact factor: 1.972
Authors: M S Alexander; K D Anderson; F Biering-Sorensen; A R Blight; R Brannon; T N Bryce; G Creasey; A Catz; A Curt; W Donovan; J Ditunno; P Ellaway; N B Finnerup; D E Graves; B A Haynes; A W Heinemann; A B Jackson; M V Johnston; C Z Kalpakjian; N Kleitman; A Krassioukov; K Krogh; D Lammertse; S Magasi; M J Mulcahey; B Schurch; A Sherwood; J D Steeves; S Stiens; D S Tulsky; H J A van Hedel; G Whiteneck Journal: Spinal Cord Date: 2009-04-21 Impact factor: 2.772
Authors: Fernando Trincado-Alonso; Iris Dimbwadyo-Terrer; Ana de los Reyes-Guzmán; Patricia López-Monteagudo; Alberto Bernal-Sahún; Ángel Gil-Agudo Journal: Biomed Res Int Date: 2014-04-23 Impact factor: 3.411