Table 1.
Characteristics of participants.
| Parameter | Normal population n = 94 | Traumatic hand injury n = 88 | HAVS n = 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender (male/female) | 69/25 | 69/19 | 26/4 |
| Age1 | 48 (20-73) | 46 (21-84)2 | 54 (24-66)2 |
| Smoker Yes/No | 15/79 | 24/66 | 5/25 |
| Time since injury (months)1 | - | 16 (8-28) | - |
| Years of vibration exposure1 | - | - | 29 (4-46) |
| DASH score (0-100)3, 1 | - | 22 (1-97)4 | 38 (5-74)4 |
| HISS1, 5 | - | 75 (5-305) | - |
| Vibration-induced white fingers (VWF)6 | - | - | |
| Stage 0 | 13* | ||
| 1 | 7 | ||
| 2 | 7 | ||
| 3 | 3 | ||
| 4 | 0 | ||
| Sensorineural symptoms6 | - | - | |
| Stage 0 | 3 | ||
| 1 | 9 | ||
| 2 | 10 | ||
| 3 | 8 | ||
| Impaired vibrotactile sense7 | - | - | 26 |
1 Median (range)
2 Patients with HAVS were significantly older than patients with traumatic hand injuries (p = 0.01)
3 0 = no disability, 100 = severest disability [22]
4 Patients with HAVS had significantly higher scores indicating more severe disability (p = 0.001)
5 Hand Injury Severity Score [20]
6 Stockholm Workshop scale
7 SI-index < 0.8 in at least one finger [35]
* 8 of 13 patients had cold sensitivity without blanching of skin (i.e. equal to 0.5 in a modified Stockholm Workshop scale, VWF)