Kinesiophobia and Its Correlation with Upper Limb and Hand Functionality Among Individuals with Wrist/Hand Injury: A...

Background/Objectives: Wrist/hand injury incidences in the general population are high and contribute to a significant health problem. Fear of pain from movement can impact physical recovery, contributing to prolonged disability and impaired function in an upper limb after wrist/hand injury. The study's objectives are (1) to evaluate the relationship between kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, QuickDASH, and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation and (2) to evaluate the data regarding the influence that basal kinesiophobia may have on upper limb functionality after wrist/hand immobilization. Methods: Participants referred from different medical centers with a wrist or hand injury that required immobilization were enrolled in the study. Data were collected just after the post-immobilization period. The following outcome measures were evaluated: the QuickDASH, the PRWE (Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation), the TSK (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia), and the PCS (Pain Catastrophizing Scale). Demographics were summarized with descriptive statistics and linear relationships between variables using Pearson's correlation coefficient. Furthermore, multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to determine whether kinesiophobia could predict upper functional performance. Results: 64 patients (40 women, 24 men) participated in the study. Significant kinesiophobia positive correlations were found between the TSK and the QuickDASH (r = 0.848, p < 0.001) as well as the TSK and the PCS error (r = 0.521, p < 0.001). The regression model explains 30.4% of the variance in upper limb function, suggesting that the PRWE, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and the QuickDASH are important in predicting dysfunction. Conclusions: Kinesiophobia may contribute to but is not a significant predictor of dysfunction in this model.