EFFECTS OF BURN ON THE MOBILITY OF UPPER LIMB/S, FUNCTIONS OF HAND /S & ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING

Background: Burn is an injury cause destruction of skin and underling tissue. Post burns complications are severe. Objective of this study is to identify the effects on the Active Range of Motion (AROM) of upper limb/s, hand functions and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) who attend the physical therapy department of burns unit. Methodology: It was a descriptive cross sectional study carried out at out-patient physical therapy department of burns unit of National Hospital of SriLanka (NHSL). Fifty subjects recruited into the study. Interviewer assisted self administered questionnaire Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder,Hand Questionnaire (DASH), AROM of nine movements of shoulder and elbow joints and hand function assessment Signals of Functional, Impairements of hand (SOFI) was used to collect data. Results: Study results showed that Flame burns were the most common burn type and majority of the victims were females. Study population had affected AROM in almost all the movements at the joint, which had affected to the ADL significantly. “Keeping an object shelf above head” and “engaging in heavy work”, showed significant correlation with movements of shoulder. SOFI score for the right hand showed significant correlation with selected Activities of Daily Living (ADL) (“writing”,” using knife to cut food” opening a jar” etc ;). Conclusion: patient with burn injury including upper limb joints may encounter disabilities. Even though it is mild AROM restrictions at a joint, This restriction affects to persons’ independency in ADL s. This emphasizes the need of intensive medical care as well as long term physical therapy rehabilitation programme for burns patients. Limitations: Each subject’s AROM was not measured at their discharge which was already stated to be a limitation.