Article
Analysis of the two-point discrimination test in daily routine practice
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Published: | August 16, 2017 |
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Outline
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Finger nerve injuries lead to a sensory deficit and impair hand function. In daily clinical practice the diagnosis of a finger nerve lesion may be challenging.
This study aims at evaluating if the two-point discrimination (2PD) test is a good predictor of nerve lesions to indicate operative treatments in hand trauma patients.
Based on the record of patients with an acute hand and finger injury, it was evaluated whether a pathological 2PD test in clinical examination corresponded the intraoperative findings of a severed nerve. Included were patients who underwent surgery between the years 2008 and 2014, with isolated finger nerve lesions. The counter proof was determined in the same way. These patients underwent surgery because of the extent of trauma or the degree of contamination.
As many as 125 patients with a total of 151 nerve injuries were suitable for this study. The sensitivity of the 2PD test was 98%, with a positive predictive value of over 95%.
The 2PD test is a simple and anytime-available examination to evaluate nerve injuries of the fingers, and a reliable marker to indicate an operative treatment based on a high inter-observer reliability.