Effective hand function assessment after burn injuries

This study compared two methods of hand function assessment, the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ) and the Test d'Evaluation des Membres Superieurs des Personnes Agees (TEMPA) in 20 patients discharged from a regional adult burn center (1995-1999). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient analysis was used to compare the MHQ and TEMPA scores, with P <.05 considered significant. The MHQ revealed that 68% of patients reported hand function deterioration, mainly with the nondominant hand (65%). Activities of daily living (76%) and work (59%) were the most affected. According to the MHQ, patient satisfaction correlated with work performance (r = .66, P = .002), aesthetics (r = .64, P = .003), pain (r = .59, P = .008), and activities of daily living (r = .54, P = .017). The MHQ indicated more hand function deterioration than the TEMPA. There was a significant correlation between the MHQ and TEMPA total scores (r = .68, P = .001). This study supports using the MHQ to determine which patients would benefit from the more resource-consuming TEMPA.