title: A descriptive study on wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment and function following distal radius fracture intervention.
abstract: METHODS
  Descriptive cross-sectional design.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment have been observed after distal radius fracture (DRF) treatment. This impairment and its relationship to function lack research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of this exploratory study was to determine the magnitude of wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment following surgical and non-surgical treatment among older patients following DRF. Secondary aims were to determine the relationship between wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment with function and pain as well as the relationships among wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment and function and age following DRF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten Test (TT), active joint position sense (JPS), electromyography (EMG), computerized hand-grip dynamometer (CHD), and the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) were used to assess twenty-four female participants 8 weeks following DRF treatment and their 24 matched-control healthy counterparts on wrist and hand sensibility, proprioception, muscle recruitment, grip force, muscle fatigue, and functional status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants following DRF demonstrated significantly (p < .05) greater sensory (i.e., JPS, TT), and motor (i.e., EMG, CHD) deficits than their control counterparts. A significantly higher functional deficit (i.e., PRWE) also existed among participants following DRF than the control group. Participants following surgical and non-surgical DRF treatment were found to be statistically different only on total grip force. Group differences on JPS and total grip force revealed the strongest effect size with the highest correlations to PRWE. EMG and muscle fatigue ratio group differences revealed a weaker effect size with a fair degree of correlation to PRWE. Pain significantly correlated with sensori-motor function. Age did not correlate with any measured variable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Significant wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment and functional deficits among older females 8 weeks following DRF surgical and non-surgical interventions were revealed. JPS and total grip force were the most clinically meaningful tests for assessing the sensori-motor status as well as explaining functional disability and pain levels for these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  2c.
authors.affiliation: ATI Physical Therapy, OrthopediCare Clinic, 1200 Manor Drive, Chalfont, PA 18914, USA. chriskaragian@comcast.net
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karagiannopoulos
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sitler
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michlovitz
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tierney
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D053581:Muscle Strength Dynamometer; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D011434:Proprioception / Q000502:physiology; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Fracture; Impairment; Sensori-motor; Wrist