title: Satisfaction with upper-extremity surgery in individuals with tetraplegia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To measure the satisfaction of individuals with tetraplegia with their upper-extremity reconstructive surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-seven individuals with spinal cord injury at the C4 through C8 motor level (107 arms).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants had upper-extremity surgery to improve function. The surgical procedures included tendon transfers for elbow extension, wrist extension, hand grasp, and pinch or hand grasp neuroprosthesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey was mailed to participants, who were asked to respond to statements such as, "If I had it to do over, I would have the hand/arm surgery again," using a 5-level Likert scale (ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy percent of the participants were generally satisfied with the results of their upper-extremity surgery, 77% reported a positive impact on their lives, 68% reported improvements in activities of daily living (ADLs), 66% reported improved independence, 69% reported improvement in occupation, 71% reported improved appearance or neutral, 78% reported their hand worked as well (or neutral) as it did when surgery was first performed, and 86% reported postoperative therapy as being beneficial.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Upper-extremity surgery had a positive impact on life, increased ability to perform ADLs and to be independent, and improved quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Cleveland Functional Electrical Stimulation Center, Louis B. Stokes Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44109, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn Stroh
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Wuolle
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bryden
authors.forename: P Hunter
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Peckham
authors.forename: Patrick K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keith
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001186:Artificial Limbs / Q000523:psychology; D003625:Data Collection; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013709:Tendon Transfer / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome