DIGITAL NERVE REPAIR - RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEVERITY OF INJURY AND SENSIBILITY RECOVERY

The purpose of this study was to measure the relationship between seve rity of injury and sensibility outcome. This was done by a retrospecti ve study of 37 digital nerve repairs in 26 patients, with a mean follo w-up of 35 months. AII patients underwent complete hand examination an d standard nerve testing, including static and moving two-point discri mination, Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments (SWMF), object recognition, a nd the pick-up test. A hand injury severity scoring system based on wo und characteristics, mechanism of injury, and number of structures inv olved was then developed. Severity grading led to three classes, and e ach study group was well matched. Subjectively, all patients considere d their outcome as either good or excellent. Objective results are rev iewed individually for each test, with the overall combined result of static and moving two-point discrimination being excellent (Highet S4) in 81% for class 1, 41% for class II, and 31% for class ill, all diff erent at a statistically significant level. We concluded that the seve rity of injury in the hand can be graded and does have a relationship to the functional end result of digital nerve repair.