title: Evaluation of quality of life in brachial plexus injury patients after reconstructive surgery.
abstract: To evaluate the subjective satisfaction of brachial plexus injury (BPI) patients after surgery based on the medical outcomes study 36-item short form health survey (SF-36) and to correlate their SF-36 scores with upper extremity functions. Four items were assessed statistically for 30 patients: SF-36 scores after BPI surgery were compared with Japanese standard scores; the correlation between SF-36 scores and objective joint functions; difference in SF-36 scores between each type of BPI; and influence of each joint function on the SF-36 scores. The SF-36 subscale: PF--physical functioning, RP--role-physical, BP--bodily pain, and the summary score PCS--physical component summary, were significantly inferior to the Japanese standard scores. SF-36 is more sensitive to shoulder joint function than to elbow and finger joint functions. Little correlation was found between SF-36 scores and objective evaluations of joint functions. Greater effort is needed to improve the quality of life (QOL) of BPI patients. This study showed that SF-36 is not sensitive enough to evaluate regional conditions. A region- or site-specific questionnaire is required to evaluate upper extremity surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. izuru@rc4.so-net.ne.jp
authors.forename: Izuru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kitajima
authors.forename: Kazureru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.forename: Semih
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takka
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Estrella
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012399:Rotation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000502:physiology