title: Hand impairment and activity limitations in four chronic diseases.
abstract: METHODS
  Retrospective cohort.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Hand involvement in osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are well known to occupational and physical therapists; however, it is not known whether the impairments and activity limitations with diabetes (DMII) and systemic sclerosis (SSc) are as severe as those observed with OA and RA.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare the hand impairments and activity limitations in the 4 diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  A convenience sample of 156 participants received evaluations of hand impairments: strength, joint motion, and dexterity and completed a hand activity limitations questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SSc and RA participants had weaker pinch, decreased joint motion and more activity limitations than the DMII and OA groups. There were no significant differences between the groups for right hand grip strength and pegboard dexterity, and applied dexterity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OA and DMII groups had significantly less impairments and activity limitations than the SSc and RA groups.
  
  
  METHODS
  2C.
authors.affiliation: Occupational Therapy Graduate Program MSC09 5240, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA. jpoole@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Janet L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Poole
authors.forename: Deepa D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Santhanam
authors.forename: Autumn L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Latham
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000503:physiopathology*
keywords: Diabetes; Osteoarthritis; Rheumatoid arthritis; Systemic sclerosis