Instructional Concurrent Session V
Looking Up: Evaluating the Cervical Spine and Understanding It's Contribution to Upper Extremity Dysfunction
Description:
The cervical spine can create symptoms and dysfunction distally that mimics common conditions seen by a hand and upper extremity therapist. This course will utilize case presentations to demonstrate the importance of evaluating the cervical spine and evidence informed techniques for evaluation. The cases will offer subjective and objective examples of ways to differentiate between proximal and distal involvement and how this can guide treatment. Demonstration and lab practice will also be included so clinicians can feel comfortable incorporating the evaluation skills immediately into their practice.
Objective(s):
- Identify dermatomes and myotomes associated with cervical root levels.
- Demonstrate a cervical screen appropriate for all upper extremity conditions.
- Interpret subjective and objective evaluation findings that may indicate cervical involvement.
Research Design: Problem-Oriented Methodological Design
Description:
This 30-minute session, sponsored and presented by the American Hand Therapy Foundation, will inform participants seeking to choose and develop methodology designs that will effectively answer a proposed study’s question.
Objective(s):
- Describe quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methodology designs in evidence-based terms.
- Determine the appropriate methodology for a proposed study based on the research question and the available data.
- Construct a problem-oriented methodology plan for a proposed study.
Speaker(s):
Restoring Hand Function After Partial Hand Amputation
Description:
Case study presentation detailing therapy’s role in restoring hand function in a female patient who sustained a partial hand amputation (thumb, index, and middle fingers). Lecture will describe the acute rehabilitation process and discuss modifications that were made to return the patient to her prior level of function.
Objective(s):
- Describe the acute rehabilitation process involved in a partial hand amputation (e.g. wound care, range of motion, etc.)
- Discuss therapy’s role in ADL modifications that can be made to restore independence following a partial hand amputation.
- Discuss the available literature regarding partial hand amputations.
- Describe prosthetic options available to patients with partial hand amputations.
Speaker(s):
Restoring Upper Extremity Function in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury
Description:
Restoring Upper Extremity Function in Cervical Spinal Cord Injury • Describe hand and upper extremity function in people with mid level cervical spinal cord injury • Discuss some of the different surgical treatment options to improve hand and upper extremity function in this population • Define the physiology behind the use of nerve transfers to improve upper extremity function in spinal cord injury Case presentations will be used to focus the discussion around the use of nerve and/or tendon transfer surgery as well as the role that perioperative therapy plays in determining success.
Objective(s):
- Describe hand and upper extremity function in people with mid level cervical spinal cord injury
- Discuss some of the different surgical treatment options to improve hand and upper extremity function in this population
- Define the physiology behind the use of nerve transfers to improve upper extremity function in spinal cord injury