CLINICAL AND FUNCTIONAL EVALUATION OF WRISTS AND HANDS OF SPINAL CORD INJURED PATIENTS.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Neurology
• Radiology

Background:

• Spinal cord injury (SCI) disrupts nerve tracts, impairing sensory and motor function.
• Degenerative alterations in hands and wrists are a potential concern for SCI patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clinically and radiologically assess hands and wrists in SCI patients.
• To evaluate motor and sensitive functionality in SCI patients.
• To determine if SCI patients have a higher likelihood of developing degenerative alterations in their hands and wrists.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated 14 patients (8 paraplegic, 6 tetraplegic) with anamnesis and clinical examination.
• Assessed muscular strength using the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale and range of motion (ROM) with a goniometer.
• Conducted X-ray examinations and compared findings with existing data.

Main Results:

• Only one patient reported mild wrist pain (VAS level 3).
• Motor evaluations (MRC, ROM) differentiated paraplegic and tetraplegic subgroups.
• X-ray analysis revealed all patients had Grade 1 or 2 osteoarthritis/osteoarthrosis (Kellgren and Lawrence classification).

Conclusions:

• Spinal cord-injured patients exhibit minimal to no clinical or radiological signs of hand and wrist osteoarthritis.
• The hands and wrists of individuals with SCI appear to function similarly to those without injury.
• SCI does not seem to predispose individuals to increased degenerative changes in the hands and wrists.