Книга И. Матева «Реабилитация при повреждениях руки» является прекрасным пособием по восстановительной медицине, касающейся возвращению функции руки после травм.
Предисловие к книге «Реабилитация при повреждениях руки» на английском языке
This book reflects the 20-year-long team-work experience of the hand surgery and rehabilitation departments of the Institute of Orthopeadics and Traumatology - Medical Academy, Sofia. The great variety of issues covered are discussed in the light of surgical and physiotherapeutical aspects. The morphological and functional characteristics of the hand is of considerable value as related to routine practice. Some of the basic functional parameters of the hand, e. g. sensitivity, mobility, coordination of movements, strength endurance and fatigue during hand movements are thoroughly elucidated. Range of motion measurements in the joints of the upper limb are given according to classical and SFTR methods. Muscle testing procedures are also presented.
The Chapter on diagnostics of the injured hand deals consecutively with lesions of nerves, tendons, bones and joints, and blood vessels. In the part concerning nerve lesions, electrodiagnosis and electromyography for diagnostical and kinesitherapeutical purposes are included, as well as the question of the different substitution movements.
The basic principles of hand rehabilitation by resorting to pre-and postoperative treatment are presented in the light of many year personal experience. The role assigned to orthotics in the overall rehabilitation of the hand is also emphasized. Occupational therapy and the usual tests employed are reviewed.
On the basis of personal conceptions formed in the long practice with surgical and non-surgical treatment of the hand, an outline is given of pre-and postoperative rehabilitation in injuries of individual hand structures—tendons, nerves ets. The Chapter on tendons deals with the most intriguing and actual questions concerning postoperative management pitfalls, such as paradoxical extension of the fingers, inflammatory phenomena in the tendon graft etc. The section on rehabilitation of nerve injuries submits a detailed description of the postoperative management during the asymptomatic and symptomatic phase of axonal regeneration, referring also to some of the most recently postulated and currently treated problems — reeducation of sensitivity, readjustment of transferred muscles and the like.
Conservative treatment in upper limb birth palsy, and the treatment policy to be adopted following surgical interventions are also discussed in the book. Separate chapters are devoted to diseases caused by overstrain of the musculo-tendinous apparatus, to prosthetic management of the hand, and to rehabilitation after amputations and prosthetic fitting. The text of the volume offered reflects the experience of the authors with pre-and postoperative treatment of cicatricial contractures of the hand after burns. The reported on observation on the recovery of normaly sensitivity in thick grafts on the volar aspect of the hand, applied in early childhood, are of direct interest to surgeons. Compensatory possibilities of daily self-care and work activities in the heavily involved hand are emphasized and accordingly documented. In conclusion, current problems related to hand incapacitation assessment are dealt with.
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