title: Bimanuality is improved by hand surgery in children with brain lesions:  preliminary results in 18 children.
abstract: The present study was performed to investigate if, in a short term perspective, bimanual hand function in children with brain damage improves as an effect of hand surgery. Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA), Goal Achievement Scale, consolidated House Functional Classification, Zancolli Classification, and the active range of motion were measured before surgery and 5-14 months after surgery in 18 children, aged 6-16 years, mean of 11 years. AHA improved from 44.5 AHA units (range 20-66) to 52.5 AHA units (range 25-69) (P<0.005) on a 0-100 AHA unit scale. Active motion improved (P<0.005). Rating of selected goals improved from 2.6 to 6.4, on a 10-grade scale. On a short term, hand surgery improved not only the grip, but also the ability to use the hemiplegic hand in bimanual activities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pontén
authors.forename: Catarina Lenke
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ekholm
authors.forename: Ann-Christin
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Eliasson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001925:Brain Damage, Chronic / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000534:rehabilitation; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D018737:Hand Strength; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011182:Postoperative Care; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013709:Tendon Transfer