Patient-reported quality of life and hand disability in elderly patients after a traumatic hand injury – a retrospective study

Table 3 Gender differences in hand-arm function/symptoms and general health after a hand/wrist/forearm injury sustained at an age > 65 evaluated 19–40 months after the injury

	All patients n = 137	Men n = 73 (53%)	Women n = 64 (47%)	P-value^a
QuickDASH^b Score	11.4 [2.3–34.1]	8.3[0.6–27.3]	13.6[2.5–42.5]	0.116
VAS^c Pain	5.0[2.0–30.8]	5.0[2.0–24.5]	5.5[2.0–37.0]	0.395
VAS Hand Mobility	10.0[3.0–43.0]	11.0[3.0–48.8]	9.0[2.0–39.0]	0.419
VAS Sensory Function	6.5[2.0–36.3]	6.0[2.0–39.3]	6.5[2.0–33.8]	0.998
VAS Grip Strength	15.0[3.0–51.0]	15.0[3.0–54.8.0]	17.5[2.3–49.8]	0.473
VAS Fine Motor Skill	16.0[3.0–54.0]	16.0[3.0–58.0]	15.0[3.0–53.0]	0.995
VAS Sleep	3.0[1.8–20.8]	3.0[1.0–11.8]	3.5[2.0–36.3]	0.090
SF-36^d PF^e	75.0[50.0–95.0]	85.0[65.0–95.0]	70.0[41.3–95.0]	0.013
SF-36 RP^f	100.0[43.8–100.0]	100.0[25.0–100.0]	100.0[50.0–100.0]	0.796
SF-36 RE^g	100.0[66.7–100.0]	100.0[66.7–100.0]	100.0[33.3–100.0]	0.781
SF-36 SF^h	100.0[75.0–100.0]	100.0[75.0–100.0]	100.0[62.5–100.0]	0.322
SF-36 BPⁱ	72.0[41.0–100.0]	74.0[46.0–100.0]	52.0[41.0–84.0]	0.041
SF-36 Vitality	70.0[52.5–85.0]	75.0[60.0–87.5]	65.0[45.0–85.0]	0.092
SF-36 MH^j	84.0[68.0–96.0]	88.0[72.0–96.0]	80.0[65.0–92.0]	0.045
SF-36 GH^k	72.0[55.5–87.0]	72.0[52.0–91.0]	72.0[55.5–87.0]	0.696
CISS^l score	18.0[4.0–35.0]	18.0[6.3–37.3]	14.0[4.0–34.0]	0.423

Presenting median [25th -75th percentiles]. ^aMann Whitney’s U-test. ^b = Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score; ^c = Visual Analogue Scale; ^d = Short Form (36) Health Survey; ^e = Physical Functioning; ^f = Role Physical; ^g = Role Emotional; ^h = Social Functioning; ⁱ = Bodily Pain; ^j = Mental Health; ^k = General Health; ^l = Cold Intolerance Severity Score. The score for Quick DASH range from 0 to 100; 0 indicating no disability and 100 signifying the most severe disability. For CISS, a score between 4 and 100 was calculated with higher scores indicating more severe cold intolerance. For SF-36, an impaired health status produces low scores on a scale from 0 to 100. For VAS, a score between 0 and 100 was given; 0 = no pain/impairment to 100 = maximal pain/impairment

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