Determining the functional sensibility of the hand in patients with peripheral nerve repair: Feasibility of using a novel manual tactile test for monitoring the progression of nerve regeneration.

STUDY DESIGN: Case-controlled cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Sensory function is difficult to observe during nerve regeneration processes. Traditional sensory tests are limited to identifying the level of functioning hand sensation for sensory stimulus is given passively to the cutaneous surface of the hand.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To examine the outcome changes in the manual tactile test (MTT), Semmes-Weinstein monofilament (SWM) and 2-point discrimination (2PD) tests for patients with nerve repair and to investigate the concurrent validity of MTT by comparing it with the results of traditional tests.

METHODS: Fifteen patients with nerve injury of the upper limbs were recruited, along with 15 matched healthy controls. The MTT, SWM, and 2PD tests were used to examine the sensory status of the subjects.

RESULTS: Three subtests (barognosis, roughness differentiation, and stereognosis) in MTT showed that the patients improved with time. A moderate and mild correlation was found between the MTT and 2PD results and between the barognosis and SWM results.

CONCLUSIONS: The MTT provides practical and functional perspectives on detecting nerve progression during the courses of degeneration and regeneration.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.