MODIFICATION OF IFSSH SYSTEM FOR EVALUATION OF IMPAIRMENT OF HAND FUNCTION

We modified the examination and evaluation standard of impairment of h and function proposed by the International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand (IFSSH). 1) The thunb adduction and opposition ex amination is changed from measuring distance alone to calculation of t he ratio of thumb length to the distance of movement. 2) Sensation gra ding and two-point discrimination test are included in the sensory fun ction evaluation. 3) In the estimation of anatomic loss of the hand, i nstead of measuring the length of the loss, calculation of the area of loss is proposed. 4) In the evaluation of joint movement, besides the angle of movement and position of the joint itself influence of the d efect distal to the joint thereon is also considered. 5) In the origin al evaluation standard, sensory disturbances of the palmar and dorsal aspects of the hand as well as the anatomic loss of tissues through th e palm are not taken into account. The present work pays special atten tion to this point. The software of the above mentioned work has been developed, approved by experts and adopted nation wide in China. The d ata of hand function examinations can be fed into the computer and the function loss in percentage can be dis played, or printed out. This s oftware, using a graphic display, can also take care of the filling an d retrieving of case history. At present the menu and instructions are in Chinese, which can be changed to suit other language. Our ''Evalua tion of Function Loss of the Hand'' system and its software offer the doctors, patients and socially related parties (compensation cases, in surance and legal cases, etc) an objective and accurate way to evaluat e the extent of hand function loss acid the results of its management.