An isometric hand tester: quantifying motor function in the hand.

The aim of this study was to develop and assess an isometric hand tester to measure multiple strength parameters of the muscles of the hand. Nineteen men and 22 women took part in a first study and 17 men were tested in a second one. Five different tests were developed: wrist flexion, wrist extension, metacarpophalangeal joint flexion, thumb adduction and proximal and distal interphalangeal joint flexion. Reliability was tested with an intraclass correlation coefficient for single measures. When the results from men and women were analysed separately, all tests except metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and thumb adduction produced intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.7. Combining the genders gave intraclass correlation coefficients greater than 0.9 except for metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and thumb adduction. After adjustments, intraclass correlation coefficients for metacarpophalangeal joint flexion and thumb adduction were between 0.70 and 0.83 in the second study. The new isometric hand tests improve the measurement of intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscle strength.

[Ten years of hand transplantation experiment or routine?]. / Zehn Jahre Handtransplantation Experiment oder Routine?

In the 20th century the legend of Cosmas and Damian - an extremity being transferred from one person to another - became reality. The first hand transplantation was carried out in 1964 in Ecuador but the hand had to be removed again within three weeks due to rejection. Although he was the first one to be treated with more modern immunosuppressants, the same fate overtook another patient who received a hand from a brain-dead donor in 1998 in Lyon. Since then only 32 persons worldwide have been provided with parts of the upper extremity. The partly published histories of three patients who have had both hands transplanted will be summarised and indication critically assessed once again. It is also stressed how difficult, multi-layered and complex the patient's education is. The patient has to be informed in many conversations beforehand about every stage of therapy but also about possible complications and even rejection. Can the psychological burden/stress while waiting for a donor, the difficult post-operative period, lifelong adherence to a rigorous drug-regimen, the complexity of the whole procedure be made comprehensible to a layman? To replace same with same is the goal of the best-possible reconstructive surgery. It is to hope that through future innovations in the immunosuppressing therapy patients can be offered transplantation of one or both hands as a routine-operation. Until then indication has to be strict and the operation can possibly only be performed in a few centres. Long-time prospects, disadvantages and complications, as well as side effects have to be presented openly.

Complex mincer hand injury in a 4-year-old girl: successful revascularization.

We report on a four-year-old girl who suffered a complex mincer injury to the left hand, resulting in a partial amputation of her hand. To salvage the injured hand, revascularization was performed. The indication, advantages and outcome of the procedure are discussed.

[Radical tumour resection in the upper extremity and heterotopic replantation of the hand. Analyses of functional results in two patients]. / Radikale Tumorresektion im Ellenbogenbereich und heterotope Handreplantation. Analyse der funktionellen Ergebnisse bei zwei Patienten.

We describe here two cases treated 17 years apart from each other. The patients were young males with malignant soft tissue tumours of the forearm and elbow joint. Radical tumour resection involved removal of the elbow joint. Neither of the patients consented to upper arm amputation, but agreed to undergo heterotopic replantation of the amputated distal third of the forearm together with the hand to the stump of the upper arm. The tendons of the forearm were attached to the three muscles of the upper arm, and the distal nerves were coapted with the nerve trunks of the upper arm. However, the reconstructive procedures carried out in these two patients were anatomically different. In the first patient, for technical reasons, only the deep flexor tendons were sutured. Furthermore, development of a postoperative haematoma necessitated revision surgery with split-thickness skin graft to cover the defect of the forearm. Long-term immobilisation together with a conservative approach to mobility had resulted in less than optimal results so that it appeared meaningful to re-operate the patient even 17 years after the primary operation to help him gain improved sensibility as well as motor function. These goals were achieved to a surprising extent by scar release, Z-plasty, removal of split-thickness skin graft, neurolysis, arthrodesis of the IP joint of the thumb, and tendon transposition together with intensive early postoperative sensibility and mobility training. In the second patient, longitudinal division of the muscles of the upper arm into different compartments and interweaving of the long tendons of the forearm into these muscles as well as early intensive mobility training and reintegration of the replanted hand in the body scheme resulted in the rapid gain of extremely good functional results so that the patient is now able to employs his heterotopically replanted hand quite effectively in his activities of daily living as a farmer. We believe that the differences in the surgical techniques employed and intensive postoperative training may explain the varying functional outcomes of these two patients. What is surprising is that it was possible to achieve marked functional improvement even after an interval of 17 years.

Cognitive re-education and early functional mobilisation in hand therapy after bilateral hand transplantation and heterotopic hand replantation--two case reports.

The main challenge for a successful hand therapy after heterotopic hand replantation is the reeducation of patients' sensory and motor perception. The case of a 28-year-old patient is described. After resection of a tumour and amputation of the elbow, tendons of the hand had to be joined to only three muscles of the upper arms. Elbow extension and flexion had to be trained to control the wrist, fingers, and thumb movements. In a similar way, the main focus after ortotopic hand transplantation lies on retraining the wrist, finger, and thumb functions. This is illustrated by a second case of a patient who had lived for 5 years with myoelectric protheses on both lower arms and had forgotten these functions. The final aim in both cases was regaining of daily living and working skills. The therapy was started with fitting supporting thermoplastic splints. Early motioned passive and passive-assistive active mobilisation prevented tendons adherences and initiated hand-functions. An intense sensory remaining programme and cognitive therapeutic exercises ensured the sensory and motoric activation of the referring cortical hand areals. At conclusion of therapy it can be said that both patients have fully taken up their professional duties again and that they are able to manage successfully their activities of daily living on their own.

[Surgical treatment of persisting and recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome from 1999 to 2003]. / Revisions- und Rezidiveingriffe nach Karpaltunneloperationen von 1999 bis 20031.

The operative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome is relatively simple and is carried out by doctors from various surgical specialities. In cases of persisting pain or postoperative worsening of the condition, the indication for the procedure could have been wrong or an iatrogenic complication may have to be taken into consideration. We have analysed 42 patients (48 hands) who underwent surgical treatment for carpal tunnel release from 1999 to 2003. We treated eight men and 34 women with an average age of 56 years in this way. Ten patients were initially operated upon by endoscopic release. We found an incompletely transected or even untouched retinaculum flexorum in 16 patients. In eight patients we found an iatrogenic nerve lesion and 24 patients developed serious scarring. Revision surgery should be undertaken only by a surgeon who is a specialist in hand surgery and has extensive experience in this field. In the same context, postoperative hand therapy is essential for a good result, which is performed by occupational therapists in our clinic.

[Heterotopic hand replantation following radical tumor resection in the elbow region. Functional results 15 months after surgery]. / Heterotope Handreplantation nach radikaler Tumorresektion im Ellenbogenbereich : Funktionelles Ergebnis 15 Monate postoperativ.

BACKGROUND: In a 28-year-old male who had suffered an olecranon fracture, delayed diagnosis was made of epithelioid sarcoma in the left upper extremity. Radical tumor resection was carried out which included removal of the entire elbow joint. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The amputated hand with the distal one-third of the forearm was replanted at the upper arm. It was important to ensure that all tendinous structures of the forearm were attached to the three muscles of the upper arm and the nerves of the distal forearm with the nerves of the upper arm, which are incongruent in diameter with the former. Details of the operation are given below. RESULTS: The anatomic peculiarities involved in this form of replantation, the early intensive therapy, reintegration of the replanted hand in the body scheme, and the usability of such a shortened extremity are described and the extremely good functional results documented in numbers and figures.

[Dupuytren's contracture -- surgery of recurrencies]. / Die Dupuytrensche Kontraktur - Rezidiveingriffe.

BACKGROUND: The present study is a retrospective investigation of patients who underwent surgery for recurrence of Dupuytren's contracture. We discuss the indications for this intervention, operative methods, and postoperative therapy. Surgical treatment for recurrence of this condition is incomparably more difficult and risky than the primary operation. METHODS: At the Innsbruck University Clinic for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 50 patients underwent 70 operations for treatment of recurrence of Dupuytren's contracture between March 1999 and September 2004. Thorough pre- and postoperative clinical investigations and assessment of hand status as well as analysis of the indication for the first operation and the surgical method used were carried out. All patients underwent intensive postoperative hand therapy from day 1 for restoration of function and flexibility. RESULTS: After completion of therapy, in 32 patients there was an improved ROM of between 40 and 270 degrees per finger, in five patients an unchanged ROM, and in three patients, reduction in ROM by 5 to 58 degrees; six patients failed to show up for their follow-up despite being asked to do so several times. No data are as yet available on four patients who had undergone primary operation elsewhere and were operated within the past six months for recurrence in our clinic. In nine patients, there was a decrease in sensation immediately after surgery; but improvement was achieved within six months in three of these patients after intensive hand therapy. CONCLUSION: Careful assessment of hand function, establishing the indications for surgery at the right time, choice of the appropriate surgical approach and initiation of intensive hand therapy immediately after surgery are decisive for effective treatment of recurrent Dupuytren's contracture. However, amputations and ray resections cannot be avoided in all cases, especially if nerve injuries incurred during previous operations, resulting in joint stiffness.

Decompression without anterior transposition: an effective minimally invasive technique for cubital tunnel syndrome.

Cubital tunnel syndrome represents the second most common compression neuropathy in the upper limb. There are three main surgical procedures to deal with this issue, namely simple decompression, medial epicondylectomy and anterior transposition. Nevertheless, optimal surgical treatment is still open to question. In the past three years we performed decompression of the nerve with or without external neurolysis and epineuriotomy on 52 patients (55 extremities). Preoperative diagnostic procedures included functional hand status, neurophysiological evaluation, X-ray of the elbow and neurosonography. Patients were then divided into three groups according to the staging criteria of Dellon. After an average follow-up of 13 months, the outcome was evaluated by complete examination of hand function, electrophysiological studies and interview with the patients. Postoperatively, two-point discrimination as well as strength improved significantly. Postoperative grip was 28.78 kg (79.8 % of the other hand), compared to 20.31 kg (58 % of the other hand) preoperatively (p = 0.000). Evaluation of each stage individually showed that the best functional outcome was achieved by the minimum-staged group with improvements in strength and sensory in all patients and total relief in two-thirds. In the severe-staged group, improvement could still be found in 75 % of the patients. Evaluation of conduction velocities showed highly significant improvements for both motor and sensory conduction velocities. In summary, simple decompression, if necessary modified with external neurolysis and epineuriotomy, showed high success rates in all stages. Decompression is a minimally invasive procedure, but very effective for mild as well as for severe cases and therefore the optimal treatment in cubital tunnel syndrome.