[The use of occupational therapy in upper limb amputees]. / L'applicazione della TO nell'amputato di arto superiore.

Since pre-history until modern times, the ever more refined use of the hand has been fundamental to the progress of mankind. The list of functions of this incredible part of the body would fill several pages and show its fundamental importance in all our actions; in fact, there is very little that humans do that does not involve the use of the hands. The hand offers points for unlimited dissertation and is the executive organ par excellence, carrying out directly or participating in almost all our actions; it is an organ for communication and an instrument of well-being as well as being the main site of one of the five senses: touch. On this background, attention will be focused on the importance that the hand plays in daily life and, particularly, on the difficulties inevitably faced by people who are forced to live without a hand, even if replaced by an orthopaedic prosthesis. This is the sense of occupational therapy in the context of upper limb amputees.

[Tests of hand functionality in upper limb amputation with prosthesis]. / I test di funzionalità della mano in amputati di arto superiore con protesi.

The need for standardized instruments for clinical measurements has become pressing in the fields of occupational rehabilitation and ergonomics. This is particularly the case for instruments that allow a quantitative evaluation of upper limb function, and especially hand function in patients who have undergone an amputation and then application of an upper limb prosthesis. This study presents a review of the main tests used to evaluate hand function, with a critical analysis of their use in subjects with an upper limb prosthesis. The tests are divided into: tests to evaluate strength, tests to evaluate co-ordination and dexterity, tests of global or overall function, and tests proposed specifically for subjects with an upper limb prosthesis. Of the various tests presented, the authors give their preference to the Bimanual Functional Assessment, Abilhand and/or the ADL Questionnaire, because of the practical usefulness, clinimetric features, simplicity and ease of administration of these tests.