Article

OBJECTIVE: To identify predictors of surgical outcome for ulnar neuropathy at the
elbow (UNE). DESIGN: Prospective cohort followed for 1 year. SETTING: Clinics.
PARTICIPANTS: Patients diagnosed with UNE (N=55). INTERVENTION: All subjects had
simple decompression surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure
was patient-reported outcomes, such as overall hand function through the Michigan
Hand Outcomes Questionnaire (MHQ). Predictors included age, duration of symptoms,
disease severity, and motor conduction velocity across the elbow. RESULTS:
Multiple regression models with change in the overall MHQ score as the dependent
variable showed that at 3 months postoperative time, patients with <3 months
duration of symptoms showed 12 points (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9-23.5)
greater improvement in MHQ scores than those with >/=3 months symptom duration.
Less than 3 months of symptoms was again associated with 13 points (95% CI,
2.9-24) greater improvement in MHQ scores at 6 months postoperative, but it was
no longer associated with better outcomes at 12 months. A worse baseline MHQ
score was associated with significant improvement in MHQ scores at 3 months
(coefficient, -0.38; 95% CI, -.67 to -.09), and baseline MHQ score was the only
significant predictor of 12 month MHQ scores (coefficient, -.40; 95% CI, -.79 to
-.01). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with <3 months of symptoms and worse baseline MHQ
scores showed significantly greater improvement in functional outcomes as
reported by the MHQ. However, duration of symptoms was only predictive at 3 or 6
months because most patients recovered within 3 to 6 months after surgery.
CI - Copyright (c) 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS