The influence of occupational therapy to the development of independence in the patients with ulnar styloid process fracture

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of occupational therapy in patients with ulnar styloid process fracture. The material and the methods of the study. Standardized quick DASH questionnaire was employed in order to evaluate the functional status of the patients and impaired activities. A dynamometer was used for the measurements of muscule strength of hands and a goniometer, for the range of motion of the wrist and ulna. Totally, I have examined 44 patients with ulnar styloid process fracture, from which there were 8 men and 36 women. Occupational therapy was applied to the pacients. They were tested before and after the treatment. The patients were divided into two groups: one group of 22 patients and another of 22 patients. Group 1 patients had a fracture of the right arm. Group 2 patients had a fracture of the left arm. The mean age of the patients was 58 ±1,1 years. The mean age of Group 1 patients was 57 ± 1,1 years, and the mean age of Group 2 patients was 58 ± 0,6 years. Results. The examination of the motion range of forearm and ulna shows that there is statistically significant difference (p0.05). In the study it was compared the muscule strenght and functions of a hand in 2 groups before the course of occupational therapy and after the completion of a course of occupational therapy by the mean of results of quichDASH questionnaire.The examination of the muscule strenght of hand shows that the mean muscule strength of the hand was 1,3 ± 0,4 kg before the course of occupational therapy and after the course of occupational therapy it increased to 5,7 ± 0,5 kg. After comparison of the fuctional activities of the patients by the questionnaire quickDASH, the mean of quickDASH before the occupational therapy was 63,2 ± 1,6 ponts, and after the course of oppupational therapy it was 24,7 ± 1,1 points. The results of quickDASH are statistically reliable (p < 0,05). The more closer the results are to zero, the smaller is disability. The results of comparison of the mean strenght of group 1 and group2 show that the mean muscule strength of the hand of Group 1 patients increased 4,7 ± 0,7 kg, and in the patients of Group 2 the increase was 4,6 ± 1,2 kg. Conclusions. Occupational therapy improves the motion range of ulna and wrist joints, as well as hand muscule strenght and functional autonomy in patients with ulnar styloid process fracture