title: [Investigation of the relationship between severity of injury, return to work, impairment, and activity participation in hand and forearm injuries].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Forearm and hand injuries are the main cause of work-related disability. This study was planned to investigate the relationship between severity of injury, time of return to work, impairment, and activity participation of patients with hand and forearm injuries.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and thirty patients who had patients who had had forearm or hand injuries with a mean age of 31±11.13 years participated in this study. Injury severity was evaluated using Modified Hand and Forearm Injury Severity Scoring (MHISS) after surgery. Patients were evaluated using the Jebsen Hand Function Test (JHFT) and Buck-Gramko scoring eight weeks after injury. Additionally, grip strength was evaluated with a dynamometer, and disability/symptom score was evaluated using the Turkish version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH-T) questionnaire twelve weeks after injury.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant relationship between MHISS, hand strength, time of return to work, DASH-T, and Buck-Gramko scores of patients with forearm and hand injuries was identified (p≤0.05). Higher impairment was significantly related to body structure and body functions (1.86±1.47), and the most limited activity was writing (2.06±1.50) regarding ICF framework.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher MHISS scores were associated with delays in returning to work and lower activity participation. The DASH-T score was the most strongly associated with time of return to work. Furthermore, there is a positive relation between time of return to work and activity participation of patients.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Unit, Bornova Türkan Özilhan State Hospital, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Negihan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Çakır
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ramazan Hakan
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Özcan
authors.affiliation: Pamukkale University School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kitiş
authors.affiliation: Pamukkale University School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Nihal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Büker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005543:Forearm Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062707:Return to Work; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult