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Relationship between self-reported upper limb disability and quantitative tests in hand-arm vibration syndrome
1Health and Safety Laboratory, Harpur Hill, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK. kerry.poole@hsl.gov.uk
Purpose:
To establish the relationship between quantitative tests of hand function and upper limb disability, as measured by the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, in hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
Method:
A total of 228 individuals with HAVS were included in this study. Each had undergone a full HAVS assessment by an experienced physician, including quantitative tests of vibrotactile and thermal perception thresholds, maximal hand-grip strength (HG) and the Purdue pegboard (PP) test. Individuals were also asked to complete a DASH questionnaire.
Results:
PP and HG of the quantitative tests gave the best and statistically significant individual correlations with the DASH disability score (r2 = 0.168 and 0.096). Stepwise linear regression analysis revealed that only PP and HG measurements were statistically significant predictors of upper limb disability (r2 = 0.178). Overall a combination of the PP and HG measurements, rather than each alone, gave slightly better discrimination, although not statistically significant, between normal and abnormal DASH scores with a sensitivity of 73.1% and specificity of 64.3%.
Conclusions:
Measurements of manual dexterity and hand-grip strength using PP and HG may be useful in helping to confirm lack of upper limb function and 'perceived' disability in HAVS.
