Which instrument should we use to assess hand function after digital replantation?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Microsurgery
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Functional recovery is critical post-digital replantation, alongside tissue viability.
• Standardized assessment tools are needed to evaluate outcomes accurately.
• Previous studies have not directly compared common functional outcome measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of four frequently used instruments for evaluating hand function after digital replantation.
• To identify the most reliable and correlated assessment tools for functional outcomes in replanted digits.
• To guide clinicians in selecting appropriate outcome measures for digital replantation patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective evaluation of 17 patients undergoing digital replantation between 2004 and 2007.
• Functional assessment at least one year post-replantation using Tamai, Ipsen, Chen, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaires.
• Intra-individual comparison of scores and correlation analysis between the four instruments.

Main Results:

• All tested instruments showed significant correlation (p<0.05) in assessing hand function.
• High correlation (>0.71) was observed between the Ipsen, Tamai, and DASH questionnaires.
• The Chen test demonstrated a moderate correlation with the other assessment tools.

Conclusions:

• The Ipsen, Tamai, and DASH questionnaires are comparably effective for assessing hand function after digital replantation.
• These three instruments provide reliable and consistent data for evaluating functional recovery.
• Clinicians can confidently utilize Ipsen, Tamai, or DASH for outcome assessment in digital replantation cases.