Introduction:

In tetraplegic persons, the lack of function of the upper limb constitutes the utmost barrier to their autonomy, which is why many of them consider the reconstruction and recovery of their upper limbs to be very important.

Objective:

To describe the restoration of the caliper and the grip of quadriplegic hand with the use of Zancolli and House techniques.

Method:

A longitudinal, prospective study was carried out in 12 tetraplegic patients who came to the upper limp consultation at Frank País International Orthopedic Scientific Complex, from January 2013 to December 2016. The study variables were age, sex, injury etiology, classification (according to Giens international classification), dependence on daily activities (Barthel index), function of the limb (Mowery functional classification), personal satisfaction (Allien and Machle scale) and complications. Zancolli and House techniques were used. The information was collected from the medical records of the admitted patients. Data was processed in a microcomputer database with Word and Excel systems. The SPSS 17 statistical system was also used.

Results:

Eleven men and one woman (24 hands in total) were treated from the total of patients in the sample. The average age was 30 years, with 8.6 years of latency period. Traumatic spinal cord injury was collected as the etiology of the spinal cord injury. According to the international Giens classification, there were ten patients in group 4, and two patients in group 5. Complications occurred in three cases. With surgery, all patients were able to change from dependent to independent status. Regarding hand function, the vast majority of the sample was classified as excellent, and regarding personal satisfaction, nine patients reported feeling excellent.

Conclusions:

Zancolli and House techniques favor the restoration of the caliper and the grip of the quadriplegic hand, improve joint mobility, muscle strength and the functionality of the hand. These procedures favor the autonomy of the patient and have a high degree of satisfaction.

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