Pain, hand function, activity performance and apprehensiveness, in patients with surgically treated distal radius fractures

• Distal radius fracture (DRF) is a common injury, affecting both function and activity performance. Postoperative rehabilitation is an essential part of the treatment of a surgically treated DRF. The study aims were to assess pain, hand function, activity performance and apprehensiveness and their association, during the first three months after a surgically treated DRF. Eighty-eight patients with a DRF were assessed for pain, hand function, activity performance and apprehensiveness three days and two, six and 12 weeks after surgery. The results indicated that pain, range of motion (ROM), grip strength, apprehensiveness, and activity performance (PRWE) improved significantly between follow-ups (p < .001-.01). Apprehensiveness correlated moderately with activity performance on all visits (0.40-0.47, p < .01), which implies a correlation between the variables, but the regression model showed that the differences in the PRWE at twelve weeks cannot be explained by the differences in apprehensiveness or range of motion at cast removal. At 12 weeks, the study participants had regained almost 70% of their grip strength and 74-96% of the ROM of the uninjured hand. The study shows that, during the study period, the participants improved in both pain, hand function and activity performance, and indicates that a simple question on apprehensiveness in terms of using the injured hand in daily life could be an important factor in distal radius fracture rehabilitation.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Ortopedi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Orthopaedics (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Kirurgi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Surgery (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Distal radius fracture

hand therapy

occupational therapy

rehabilitation

activity performance

apprehensiveness

clinically important difference

recovery

grip

Orthopedics

Surgery

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)