Abstract
This study describes the measurement properties of the Normal Hand Score in patients undergoing carpal tunnel decompression (CTD). We identified 1893 episodes of CTD over a 6-year period. Paired pre- and postoperative QuickDASH, Normal Hand and satisfaction scores were available for 1006 episodes (53%; mean follow-up of 12 months). The effect size, minimum clinically important change (MCIC) and patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS) were calculated using anchor-based methodology and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses. Mean Normal Hand Score improved from 48 (SD 20) preoperatively to 78 (SD 24) postoperatively (p < 0.001). The MCIC was 18 points and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.85 to 0.92) demonstrating excellent fit. The PASS was 61 and the AUC was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91 to 0.96) demonstrating outstanding fit. The Normal Hand Score has excellent performance characteristics, including appropriate responsiveness and acceptable criterion validity. This analysis supports its use as an adjunct to patient-reported outcome measures after CTD.
Level of evidence:
II
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