Development of a database of functional assessment measures related to work disability.

The development of the Functional Assessment Measures Database is described. The database provides a method to organize and search for measures that are used to assess the functional abilities of people with medical impairments to determine work disability. The project identified 4,200 different measures that are used in the functional assessment of persons with disability across the life span, 812 of which are used to evaluate adults in terms of work disability. The database has 3,033 scales that are found in 633 measures. In the database, each measure is described and is linked to at least one functional assessment construct. The use of the database in the Social Security Administration Redesign Project is described. Other possible uses for the database are presented.

Traumatic partial foot amputations in adults. A long-term review.

A retrospective study of 260 industrial amputees was undertaken to determine the long-term functional results of partial foot amputations following trauma. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 68 years with a mean of 16 years. Of 113 partial foot amputees (118 amputations) who had retained their original amputation, the functional end-results were 43% good, 38% fair and 19% poor. Lisfranc and Chopart amputations were better than those at transmetatarsal or digital levels. Of 260 initial amputations 49 (19%) were revised to a Syme's or a below-knee amputation.