title: Stronger relation between impairment and manual capacity in the non-dominant hand than the dominant hand in congenital hand differences; implications for surgical and therapeutic interventions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate manual activity capacity (i.e. activity capacity to perform hand activities) and its relation with body functions of the hand and forearm in children with congenital hand differences (CHD) METHODS: We assessed 10-14 year-old children with CHD (N = 106) using a functional handgrips test. Measurements of body functions included joint mobility and muscle strength. Patient characteristics were hand dominance and severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a stronger relation between body functions and manual activity capacity in non-dominant hands than dominant hands. Dominant hands scored significantly higher on manual activity capacity than nondominant hands that were similarly impaired at body functions level. Severity of the CHD and body functions had only small effects on manual activity capacity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The relation between body functions and manual activity capacity is stronger in non-dominant hands than dominant hands, indicating that improvement in body functions lead to larger changes in manual activity capacity in the non-dominant hand. This may suggest that in bilaterally-affected children surgery should be done at the non-dominant hand first since this hand would benefit most from surgery-induced body functions improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physical Therapy, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: m.ardon@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Monique S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ardon
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physical Therapy, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ruud W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Selles
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Steven E R
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Hovius
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physical Therapy, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Henk J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Stam
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murawska
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physical Therapy, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marij E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Roebroeck
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physical Therapy, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wim G M
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006228:Hand Deformities, Congenital / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: Adolescent; Body functions of the hand and forearm; Child; Congenital; Female; Hand deformity; Male; Manual activity capacity