[Morphologic and functional aspects of the assessment of hand injuries]

Progress achieved in surgical approach to hand injuries have called for reconsideration of earlier recommendations for expert assessment. While in the past, emphasis used to be laid on judgement of loss caused by amputation, today primary attention must be given to assessment of the individual finger which had been surgically reconstructed but has been left with impaired function. An account is given of the functional relevance that should be attributed to each of the functional elements of a hand, and reference is made to consequences from loss of functions. Some recommendations are suggested for expert assessment.