Surgical Management of Spasticity of the Thumb and Fingers

Spasticity of the hand profoundly limits an individual's independent ability to accomplish self-care and activities of daily living. Surgical procedures should be tailored to patients' needs and functional ability, and even patients with severe cognitive injuries and poor upper extremity function may benefit from surgery to improve appearance and hygiene. Careful preoperative examination and planning are needed, and consideration is given to the potential unintended detrimental effect of a surgical procedure on hand function.