Acceptable benefits and risks associated with surgically improving arm function in individuals living with cervical spinal cord injury.
METHODS
Secure, web-based survey.


OBJECTIVE
To determine how quadriplegics in the US view tendon transfer surgeries (TTS) and what activities of daily living (ADL) involving arm/hand function are important in improving quality of life (QoL).


METHODS
World wide web.


METHODS
Individuals >or=18 years of age living with a cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). Participants obtained a pass code to enter a secure website and answered survey questions. A total of 137 participants completed the survey.


RESULTS
Two-thirds of participants had injury levels between C4/5 and C5/6. Over 90% felt that improving their arm/hand function would improve their QoL. ADL that were ranked most important to regain were dressing, feeding, transferring in/out of bed, and handwriting. Less than half of the participants had never been told about TTS and only 9% had ever had TTS. Nearly 80% reported that they would be willing to spend 2-3 months being less independent, while recovering from surgery, to ultimately become more independent. Over 75% reported that the ideal time preferred to have TTS, if chosen, would be within 5 years post-injury.


CONCLUSIONS
Regaining arm and hand function is of primary importance to individuals with cervical SCI, in particular, to increase independence in multiple ADL. There is a critical need in the US to improve awareness of TTS as a viable option for improving arm/hand function in some people. This information needs to be provided early after injury so that informed choices can be made within the first 5 years.
Anderson
K D
KD
Department of Neurological Surgery, Reeve-Irvine Research Center, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697-1385, USA. kanderso@uci.edu
Fridén
J
J
Lieber
R L
RL
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D012306:Risk; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D013709:Tendon Transfer / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology