A descriptive study on wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment and function following distal radius fracture intervention

Abstract Study design Descriptive cross-sectional design. Introduction Wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment have been observed after distal radius fracture (DRF) treatment. This impairment and its relationship to function lack research. Purpose of the study The primary aim of this exploratory study was to determine the magnitude of wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment following surgical and non-surgical treatment among older patients following DRF. Secondary aims were to determine the relationship between wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment with function and pain as well as the relationships among wrist and hand sensori-motor impairment and function and age following DRF. Methods Ten Test (TT), active joint position sense (JPS), electromyography (EMG), computerized hand-grip dynamometer (CHD), and the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) were used to assess twenty-four female participants 8 weeks following DRF treatment and their 24 matched-control healthy counterparts on wrist and hand sensibility, proprioception, muscle recruitment, grip force, muscle fatigue, and functional status. Results Participants following DRF demonstrated significantly ( p