Wrist / hand
Evaluations
Phys Ther. 2021 Jun 1;101(6):pzab080. Ziebart C, Mehta SP, MacDermid J.
Purpose: Individuals with distal radius fractures (DRF) may experience difficulty with gripping an object, painful wrist movements, sensorimotor difficulties, and swelling around the wrist and hand. A comprehensive review of the existing evidence concerning the measurement properties of common physical impairment measures can provide a valuable resource to guide hand therapy practice while managing DRF. The primary objective was to locate and assess the quality of literature on the measurement properties for the measures of physical impairment used in individuals with DRF.
Conclusions: Acceptable reliability and responsiveness were reported in grip and wrist ROM assessments for measuring changes in wrist and hand function after DRF; however, wrist ROM assessed using traditional goniometric techniques were less reliable in individuals with DRF. This study provides insight into which objective tools might be better suited for measuring outcomes related to DRF.