Abstract:
Many C6 tetraplegic patients achieve useful hand function with the help of flexor hinge orthoses. However, these devices are of little help in dressing and many of the young people who have to wear them ask whether something could be done to make their hand look more 'normal'. The lateral pinch or Key Grip operation can be performed on most people able to operate such an orthosis and the grip produced is stronger and often more useful than the three-pulp pinch. An account of 29 cases is given and complications encountered within 3 months of surgery are outlined. The modifications suggested to overcome these complications are detailed.
