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

Table 4 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, divided by age; 66–75 years and > 75 years

	All n = 137	66–75 years n = 105 (77%)	> 75 years n = 32 (23%)	P-value^a
QuickDASH^b Score	10.3[2.3–34]	9.1[2.3–29.5]	22.6[2.8–44.9]	0.091
VAS^c Pain	5.0[2.0–31.0]	5.0[2.0–26.8]	9.5[3.0–40.3]	0.208
VAS Hand Mobility	10.5[3.0–43.3]	11.0[3.0–43.0]	9.0[2.0–44.8]	0.628
VAS Sensory Function	6.0[2.0–37.0]	9.0[2.0–41.0]	3.0[1.3–21.3]	0.162
VAS Grip Strength	15.0[3.0–51.0]	19.0[3.0–51.0]	10.5[3.0–56.8]	0.821
VAS Fine Motor Skill	15.5[3.0–53.3]	18.0[3.0–53.0]	10.0[2.0–64.8]	0.414
VAS Sleep	3.0[1.5–21.5]	3.0[1.0–19.5]	3.5[2.0–40.8]	0.121
SF-36^d PF^e	77.5[50.0–95.0]	80.0[60.0–95.0]	65.0[36.3–85.0]	0.011
SF-36 RP^f	100.0[37.5–100.0]	100.0[50.0–100.0]	75.0[25.0–100.0]	0.061
SF-36 RE^g	100.0[66.7–100.0]	100.0[100.0–100.0]	100.0[33.3–100.0]	0.026
SF-36 SF^h	100.0[75.0–100.0]	100.0[75.0–100.0]	87.5[62.5–100.0]	0.045
SF-36 BPⁱ	72.0[41.0–100.0]	72.0[41.0–100]	52.0[41.0–84.0]	0.420
SF-36 Vitality	70.0[51.3–85.0]	70.0[55.0–85.0]	65.0[40.0–83.8]	0.085
SF-36 MH^j	84.0[68.0–95.0]	88.0[72.0–96.0]	80.0[60.0–92.0]	0.152
SF-36 GH^k	72.0[55.0–87.0]	77.0[58.5–90.0]	62.0[40.5–82.0]	0.042
CISS^l score	18.0[4.0–35.0]	14.0[14.0–34.0]	20.5[4.0–35.5]	0.537

Presenting median [25th -75th percentiles]. ^a = Mann 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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