Outcome of Hand Trauma: The Hand Injury Severity Scoring System (HISS) and Subsequent Impairment and Disability

Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate correlations between the hand injury severity scoring system (HISS) and measures of impairment and disability obtained 6 months after a hand injury. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between the severity of the injury (HISS) and residual impairment, as measured with the American Medical Association’s (AMA) “Guides to the evaluation of permanent impairment, 4th edition”. No statistically significant correlation was found between the severity of the injury (HISS) and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, which measures disability from the patient’s perspective. There was however a statistically significant correlation between AMA total body impairment measured and the results of the DASH questionnaire. The results indicate the potential of the HISS for predicting the final impairment after hand injuries.