Long-term patient satisfaction after reconstructive upper extremity surgery to improve arm-hand function in tetraplegia

• Published in: Spinal cord 2011-08, Vol.49 (8), p.903-908
• Main Authors: Jaspers Focks-Feenstra, J H, Snoek, G J, Bongers-Janssen, H M H, Nene, A V
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/378/1687/1825; 692/1807/1693; 692/700/228/491; 692/700/565/545/379; Activities of Daily Living; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anatomy; Arm; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Cerebrospinal fluid. Meninges. Spinal cord; Employment; Female; Hand; Human Physiology; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Netherlands; Neurochemistry; Neurology; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; original-article; Patient Satisfaction; Quadriplegia - psychology; Quadriplegia - rehabilitation; Quadriplegia - surgery; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures - methods; Recovery of Function - physiology; Statistics as Topic; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surveys and Questionnaires; Treatment Outcome; Upper Extremity - surgery; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1362-4393; 1476-5624
• DOI: 10.1038/sc.2011.21

Study design: There is a paucity of literature about satisfaction after reconstructive surgery to improve upper limb function in persons with tetraplegia. The present literature describes mainly functional outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate long-term satisfaction after reconstructive upper extremity surgery in persons with tetraplegia. Setting: Two rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands. Method: A three-part questionnaire consisting questions regarding satisfaction, activities, occupation, changes in functional ability and willingness to undergo the surgeries again was used. Internal reliability of the questionnaire was verified by factor analysis and calculation of Cronbach's alpha. Results: In total, 39 out of 55 persons (70.9%) participated in the study. The participants’ responses to questions about satisfaction, activities and occupation were positive in 73.5, 67.6 and 35.0%, respectively. Nearly 81% improved their functional ability. Approximately 65% of the participants were willing to undergo elbow extension surgery again and 77.1% expressed their willingness to undergo hand/wrist surgery again. Significant positive correlation was found between willingness to have surgery again and improvement in activities and occupation: Spearman's correlation coefficients: activities–elbow extension 0.63 ( P =0.003), activities–hand/wrist 0.57 ( P