Evaluation of functional sensation in the hand.

The ability to predict hand function based upon the degree of sensory impairment is required in determining disability rating, evaluating patients for reconstructive surgery, measuring end results of nerve repairs, and following peripheral neuropathies. The present study evaluated the ability of four tests of sensibility to predict hand function. It was found that the moving two-point discrimination test best correlated with the patient's ability to identify objects with the fingertips, p less than 0.001. The time required for object recognition correlated best with the static two-point discrimination test, p less than 0.001. This study also suggests that the most precise prediction of functional sensation in the hand requires the combined use of both these tests.