Patient-reported outcome after peripheral nerve injury

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Upper extremity nerve injuries can lead to significant patient-reported disability.
• Factors influencing long-term outcomes require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate patient-reported outcomes and identify factors associated with disability after upper extremity nerve injury.
• To test the hypothesis that pain is the strongest predictor of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 84 adult patients with upper extremity nerve injuries (brachial plexus or peripheral nerve).
• Data collected included patient-reported outcomes using the DASH and Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaires.
• Statistical analysis identified predictors of the DASH score.

Main Results:

• Patients reported significantly lower health status across all SF-36 domains compared to normative data.
• The mean DASH score was 52, indicating substantial disability.
• SF-36 bodily pain, older age, and brachial plexus injury were significant predictors of DASH scores, with pain accounting for 35% of the variance.

Conclusions:

• Substantial long-term disability is common after upper extremity nerve injury.
• Higher pain levels, older age, and brachial plexus injuries predict greater disability.
• Further research into pain management may improve quality of life for these patients.