ORCID Profile
0000-0002-2996-5004
Current Organisations
University of South Australia
,
Hand Therapy Certification Commission Inc
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-09-2004
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2004
Publisher: World Scientific Pub Co Pte Ltd
Date: 03-2013
DOI: 10.1142/S0218957713500061
Abstract: Purpose: Past literature has suggested that benign joint hypermobility is related to reduced strength, reduced proprioception and greater risk of musculoskeletal injury. This study aimed to determine any relationship between benign joint hypermobility and hand grip strength in young adults. Methods: A convenience s le of 12 adults aged 18–35 were tested for joint hypermobility using the nine-point Beighton Hypermobility Criteria. Their hand grip strength was also tested using a dynamometer. To achieve 0.8 power and 0.05 significance, 120 participants were required. Results: The results determined that benign joint hypermobility and hand grip strength were not related. Many participants demonstrated hypermobility in joints other than those tested by the Beighton criteria. Conclusion: Benign joint hypermobility, according to the Beighton criteria, and hand grip strength were not related. Hypermobility of the shoulders and interphalangeal joints were not assessed, and these joints may be hypermobile even when an in idual's results are negative by the Beighton criteria.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 03-06-2017
Abstract: Ultrasound is an established method of viewing the median nerve in the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). There is some evidence to suggest that immediate changes may occur in the median nerve before and after hand activity. The evidence for the validity and reliability of ultrasound for testing acute changes in the median nerve has not been systematically reviewed to date. To evaluate the evidence for visible change in ultrasound appearance of the median nerve after hand activity. A literature search was designed, and three reviewers independently selected published research for inclusion. Two reviewers independently appraised papers using the Evidence Based Library and Information Practice (EBLIP) appraisal checklist, while the third reviewer resolved discrepancies between appraisals. Ten studies were appraised and the results showed an increase in median nerve cross-sectional area following activity, with a return to normal size within 1 h following activity. Both healthy in iduals and those diagnosed with CTS participated, all were small convenience s les. Ultrasonographic measurements of the median nerve were reliable in the four studies reporting this, and the studies demonstrated high quality. Good-quality evidence as identified by the EBLIP appraisal checklist suggests that following hand activity, the median nerve changes in size in the carpal tunnel. The results may not be generalizable to all people and activities due to the use of small convenience s ling and narrow range of activities studied, in all of the studies appraised.
Publisher: PeerJ
Date: 03-05-2021
DOI: 10.7717/PEERJ.11156
Abstract: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is characterised by pain, autonomic, sensory and motor abnormalities. It is associated with changes in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1 representation), reductions in tactile sensitivity (tested by two-point discrimination), and alterations in perceived hand size or shape (hand perception). The frequent co-occurrence of these three phenomena has led to the assumption that S1 changes underlie tactile sensitivity and perceptual disturbances. However, studies underpinning such a presumed relationship use tactile sensitivity paradigms that involve the processing of both non-spatial and spatial cues. Here, we used a task that evaluates anisotropy (i.e., orientation-dependency a feature of peripheral and S1 representation) to interrogate spatial processing of tactile input in CRPS and its relation to hand perception. People with upper limb CRPS ( n = 14) and controls with ( n = 15) or without pain ( n = 19) judged tactile distances between stimuli-pairs applied across and along the back of either hand to provide measures of tactile anisotropy. Hand perception was evaluated using a visual scaling task and questionnaires. Data were analysed with generalised estimating equations. Contrary to our hypotheses, tactile anisotropy was bilaterally preserved in CRPS, and the magnitude of anisotropic perception bias was comparable between groups. Hand perception was distorted in CRPS but not related to the magnitude of anisotropy or bias. Our results suggest against impairments in spatial processing of tactile input, and by implication S1 representation, as the cause of distorted hand perception in CRPS. Further work is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms of somatosensory dysfunction and distorted hand perception in CRPS.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2005
DOI: 10.1197/J.JHT.2004.10.003
Abstract: A visual analogue scale was developed by French rheumatologists to measure the impact caused by rheumatoid arthritis of the hand (VAS-Hand). This article reports the use of the measure. First, the validity of the VAS-Hand was investigated by interviewing patients to understand how they interpreted and answered these questions. Second, the measure was compared with disability, pain, and impairment measures to determine whether it provided additional information. Finally, the repeatability of the measure was defined as within 1.5 points out of ten. The visual analogue scale of handicap from rheumatoid arthritis of the hand provides different information than do health status or disability questionnaires, or strength and motion assessment. The responsiveness of the VAS-Hand is under investigation in a longitudinal study.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2000
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-03-2017
DOI: 10.1111/JOA.12604
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 04-2007
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1155/2012/387829
Abstract: Purpose . This study explored the effect of autologous blood injection (with ultrasound guidance) to the elbows of patients who had radiologically assessed degeneration of the origin of extensor carpi radialis brevis and failed cortisone injection/s to the lateral epicondylitis. Methods . This prospective longitudinal series involved preinjection assessment of pain, grip strength, and function, using the patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation. Patients were injected with blood from the contralateral limb and then wore a customised wrist support for five days, after which they commenced a stretching, strengthening, and massage programme with an occupational therapist. These patients were assessed after six months and then finally between 18 months and five years after injection, using the patient-rated tennis elbow evaluation. Results . Thirty-eight of 40 patients completed the study, showing significant improvement in pain the worst pain decreased by two to five points out of a 10-point visual analogue for pain. Self-perceived function improved by 11–25 points out of 100. Women showed significant increase in grip, but men did not. Conclusions . Autologous blood injection improved pain and function in a worker’s compensation cohort of patients with chronic lateral epicondylitis, who had not had relief with cortisone injection.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 27-08-2019
Abstract: Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) is the second most frequent peripheral nerve entrapment neuropathy in the upper extremity. The diagnosis is determined through a combination of history, physical examination, and electrodiagnostic testing. However, the use of high-resolution sonography is increasing, with sonographic measurements of ulnar nerve dimension established as a reliable diagnostic criterion for UNE. Sonographic imaging can describe anatomical features beyond ulnar nerve size, and therefore additional observations could potentially be used in UNE diagnosis and treatment follow-up. This review was a scoping of the literature on different sonographic measurements and assessments that have been reported to evaluate the ulnar nerve and cubital tunnel. This should provide a guide to scanning protocols for sonographers.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-10-2017
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 11-2013
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-11-2023
DOI: 10.1177/03080226221135375
Abstract: Handgrip strength (HGS) is commonly measured to assess hand function, however, little is known about how and why occupational therapists assess and interpret HGS. This study aimed to explore the experiences of occupational therapists who work with HGS. Additionally, the study explored what biological and functional factors occupational therapists believe influence adult HGS. A qualitative study design utilising purposive s ling identified occupational therapy clinicians within Queensland, Australia who assess HGS. Data were collected from 19 participants using a semi-structured interview process. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Variations of the American Society of Hand Therapists HGS testing procedure were used by the participants based on experience. When evaluating HGS, comparison to normative data was not always completed or seen to be valuable. Biological and functional factors such as height, hand length, occupation and lifestyle factors were considered to influence HGS. The results of this study provide insight into the various ways occupational therapists assess and evaluate HGS according to experience and practice context. These variations in assessment and evaluation of HGS along with the influence of an in idual’s biological and functional factors need to be considered when interpreting HGS results.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2023
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-01-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 19-12-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S11229-022-03998-Z
Abstract: The goal of this programmatic paper is to highlight a close connection between the core problem in the philosophy of medicine, i.e. the concept of health, and the core problem of the philosophy of mind, i.e. the concept of consciousness. I show when we look at these phenomena together, taking the evolutionary perspective of modern state-based behavioural and life-history theory used as the teleonomic tool to Darwinize the agent- and subject-side of organisms, we will be in a better position to make sense of them both as natural phenomena.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2003
DOI: 10.1197/S0894-1130(03)00156-X
Abstract: A literature review was conducted to determine the most effective postoperative therapy regimens for metacarpophalangeal (MCP) arthroplasty. The main difference between the regimens was the use of passive MCP extension over active extension and splinting in MCP flexion over splinting in extension. One study did not find continuous passive motion to be significantly beneficial for gaining hand strength or MCP motion. No study evaluated the efficacy or suitability of a particular regimen for specific implants or surgical procedures.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 11-2001
DOI: 10.1177/875647930101700603
Abstract: The authors describe a protocol for measuring the carpal tunnel and median nerve in a reproducible manner using ultrasound, as well as the variability of ultrasound measurements of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel on repeated testing. Measurements of the median nerve in the wrist and carpal tunnel and measurements of the carpal tunnel were taken on 23 wrists using high-resolution ultrasound following a specified protocol. These measurements were repeated a short time later to enable the initial measurements to be tested for reproducibility and stability. The same person obtained all measurements for the purposes of this study thus, the results represent findings in an intraobserver variability study. Good correlation between the test and retest measurements was demonstrated, with r 2 values between 0.72 and 0.98. Paired t test demonstrated no significant difference between the test and retest measurements. The study shows that repeated ultrasound measurements of the cross-sectional areas of the carpal tunnel, median nerve at the proximal edge of the carpal tunnel, distal to the carpal tunnel and at the level of the proximal wrist crease can all be satisfactorily reproduced when a strict ultrasound protocol is adhered to.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-02-2023
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 06-2009
Abstract: The primary symptom reported by patients with lateral epicondylitis is pain. The InterX is a newly developed electrical device aimed at reducing pain by transmitting a varying electrical impulse into the surface of the skin via a portable, hand held applicator. This study investigates whether the InterX could provide additional acute pain relief and function for patients with acute lateral epicondylitis, to that of soft tissue massage, stretching ultrasound and exercise. Twenty-six patients were randomized to two groups. The experimental group received InterX in conjunction with soft tissue massage, stretching, ultrasound and exercise, whereas the control group received soft tissue massage, stretching, ultrasound and exercise. In the short term, both regimes resulted in significantly reduced pain and improved functional ability ( P 0.01). The control therapy also resulted in significantly improved grip strength. There was no significant difference in the improvements between groups in pain, difficulty with functional activities, although both groups' pain decreased significantly in the short (3 weeks) and medium (9 months) term. The experimental group received 30 minutes' greater treatment duration per week. The provision of the InterX in addition to soft tissue massage, stretching, ultrasound and exercise did not affect patients' outcome.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2006
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-03-2011
DOI: 10.1111/J.1440-1630.2010.00888.X
Abstract: Grip strength is useful in clinical practice for the assessment of disease and/or rehabilitation progression. Brief maximal gripping is seldom required in everyday occupations, with repeated or sustained gripping at sub-maximal power more commonly involved. It has been proposed that assessment of both maximal hand-grip force and endurance is utilised. While the suitability of maximal contraction measures has been clearly established, the reliability and validity of other hand-grip indices have not been investigated. This study examined the reliability of various hand-grip indices and their validity in relation to distance walked during the six-minute walk test, a standardised exercise capacity test. Subjects undertook static sub-maximal (50%) and maximal force contraction hand-grip testing from which various indices were derived, and six-minute walk testing from which distance walked was determined. Testing was repeated on three separate occasions for determination of test-retest reliability. Pre- and post-fatigue maximal contraction measurements demonstrated excellent test-retest reliability and validity. Conversely, other hand-grip indices were shown to be unreliable and exhibited no relationship with distance walked and hence concurrent validity could not be established. Based on the results of this study, it is recommended that pre- and post-fatigue maximal contraction may be utilised for the assessment of client ability and progression due to their established validity and test-retest reliability. However, previously proposed measures of fatigue such as endurance (duration of sustained contraction), Strength Decrement Index and work performed (function of endurance and force of contraction) are unreliable and invalid and may have limited use in clinical practice.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2002
DOI: 10.1053/HANTHE.2002.V15.01548
Abstract: The first part of this study aimed to determine the effect of human variability on assessment using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. Fifteen healthy subjects were tested using a full monofilament kit of known calibration. When the subjects were retested, they responded to a different filament 48% of the time. The second part of the study aimed to determine the effects of vigorous hand activity on sensation, as measured with Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. Forty randomly selected healthy subjects were assessed before and after they performed a brief, standardized gripping activity. After hand activity, the subjects responded to a different filament 53% of the time. In both parts of this study, the changes in monofilament results were random in direction and magnitude. The number of changes did vary between test sites, the radial nerve sites being most variable and the ulnar nerve sites least variable. It is concluded that the results of testing with the five smallest monofilaments in the full Semmes-Weinstein kit were not reliable in normal subjects and that they did not detect change in sensory function in normal subjects.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2000
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2003
DOI: 10.1177/030802260306600908
Abstract: The occupational therapy department of a teaching hospital wanted to review the evidence for the treatments that they used regularly. A temporary occupational therapist project officer was appointed to introduce the systematic review process to the staff. This report describes the process of performing the systematic reviews. The occupational therapists gained skills in forming an evidence-seeking question, identifying sources of bias within studies and deciding whether the findings of the study were applicable to their clients. They found it most difficult to understand research design, statistical principles and how to synthesise the findings. Suggestions are made for other departments that wish to implement the systematic review process.
Publisher: Association for Learning Technology
Date: 18-06-2019
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 26-07-2022
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 26-07-2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-01-2003
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2001
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a standardized hand activity would produce changes in the cross-sectional diameter of the median nerve. Ultrasound measures of proven reliability of the cross-sectional diameter of the median nerve in the wrist were taken. These measures were taken before activity and immediately after the activity, after 5 minutes, and after 10 minutes. The median nerves of 40 normal subjects showed an increase in cross-sectional diameter immediately after hand activity then returned to a size close to the preactivity size within 10 minutes. The cross-sectional area of the carpal canal did not change significantly after the hand activity was performed. Female gender and body mass index over 25 were associated with significantly larger size increases in the median nerve. This preliminary study suggests that ultrasound is sensitive to the effects of activity upon the hand.
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 26-07-2022
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 04-11-2014
Abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that causes pain, joint stiffness and swelling leading to impaired hand function and difficulty with daily activities. Wearing therapy gloves has been recommended by occupational therapists as one of the alternative treatment methods for rheumatoid arthritis. This study aims to review the available literature on the effects of wearing therapy gloves on patients’ hand function and symptoms as well as to discuss the attributes of gloves that might influence the glove performance. An electronic databases search of MEDLINE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, Occupational Therapy Systematic Evaluation of Evidence, Wiley Online Library, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial was performed. Eight articles met the inclusion criteria, and covered seven clinical trials and one case study. Seven outcome measures were identified from the included studies and were then classified into two categories: hand function and hand symptoms. The hand symptoms such as pain, stiffness and swelling improve substantially when the therapy gloves are used. However, marginal or no improvement in hand function (with the exception of grip strength) linked to the use of therapy gloves is being reported. Further research is needed to quantify the effectiveness of therapy gloves, especially in improvement of hand function and in patients’ interest in wearing therapy gloves. Furthermore, future studies should include parameters which might influence therapy gloves’ performance, such as duration of trials, interface pressure generated by the gloves on the underlying skin and tissue, glove fit and construction, as well as thermophysiological comfort.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2003
DOI: 10.1197/S0894-1130(03)00157-1
Abstract: The results of metacarpophalangeal (MCP) arthroplasty have been measured by objective measures and, to a lesser extent, subjective measures. The aim of this study was to understand patients' goals for MCP arthroplasty and the changes that occurred for them after surgery. Twenty of 24 patients reported that their MCP arthroplasty was successful because their function, pain, or hand appearance improved after the surgery. Functional changes related to how an activity was performed rather than new abilities being enabled by the surgery. There are many qualities to changes in pain and function, which closed-ended questions would not capture. Patients may not have attempted all normal activities within the first four postoperative months therefore, functional outcomes must be measured after four months. Concurrent surgical, pharmaceutical, and therapy interventions also change patients' function, making the exact effects of the MCP arthroplasty unclear.
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 26-07-2022
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Date: 17-10-2007
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 26-07-2022
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 2009
Abstract: Recent research in the civil war literature has focused on how and when external actors intervene. However, to date, systematic data have not existed on diplomatic efforts in conflict management. This article fills this gap and introduces a dataset on 438 diplomatic interventions in 68 conflicts stretching from 1945 to 1999. The authors briefly outline previous research on third-party interventions in civil wars, describe the dataset in some detail, including some initial patterns in the data, and describe how this dataset contributes to research into conflict processes. The authors also demonstrate how diplomatic interventions can be incorporated into other research agendas by merging this dataset with Doyle & Sambanis's peacekeeping data and replicating their analysis to examine the role of external diplomacy on peacebuilding success. These data on interventions, moreover, can be merged with commonly used datasets on intrastate conflicts, which promises a wide range of application in civil war studies. Developing a greater understanding of when and how civil wars end, scholarship needs to take into account efforts to arrive at diplomatic solutions. And if, as the results demonstrate, externally driven diplomacy facilitates the termination of civil wars, then the policy implications are quite important.
Publisher: CRC Press
Date: 26-07-2022
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-12-2007
DOI: 10.1007/S00296-006-0287-0
Abstract: Quality of life is an important patient-reported outcome of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in addition to structural and functional outcomes. The RAQoL (Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life questionnaire) was developed in the UK and the Netherlands as a disease-specific tool. It was adapted for use in the Australian social context and the reliability and validity was tested. A lay panel assessed the UK version and adapted the wording for use within Australia. Reliability and validity were assessed by a postal survey of the RAQoL and comparator questionnaires to 100 patients with RA. The RAQoL was easily adapted into Australian-English. Test-retest reliability was high with a Spearman rank correlation coefficient of 0.93. RAQoL scores correlated well with patient-perceived disease activity and severity--indicating good validity. The Australian version of the RAQoL is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of quality of life. It is practical, easy to administer and has good potential for use in clinical settings and trials in Australia.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-03-2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-01-2008
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-06-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-10-2006
DOI: 10.1007/S00296-005-0058-3
Abstract: To determine the "hand anatomic index" (HAI--a quantitative measure of hand deformity) in systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and to compare it with the other measures of hand deformity and functional impairment. The HAI (measure of open hand span minus closed hand span/lateral height of hand) was determined in 30 patients with scleroderma and compared with hand deformity (as assessed by two independent rheumatologists) and with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (mHAQ), hand strength and prehensile gripability data. The HAI was confirmed as a reliable measure which clearly distinguished patients with increasing hand deformity and separated patients with diffuse scleroderma (n=12) from limited scleroderma (n=18), P=0.005. The HAI correlated significantly with measures of global functional impairment (as measured by the mHAQ) r=-0.46, P=0.01, hand strength r=0.51, P=0.0001 and prehensile gripability, r=-0.37, P=0.05 but neither with disease duration r=-0.16, P=NS nor age at disease onset r=0.20, P=NS. It was estimated that the HAI accounts for ~25% of the total global disability (as measured by HAQ). Measurement of the HAI in scleroderma provides a reliable and objective measure reflecting variable degrees of hand deformity and functional impairment and might provide a valid clinical outcome measure in patients with this disabling disorder.
Location: United States of America
No related grants have been discovered for Nicola Massy-Westropp.