SL Huang

Hand function of normal subjects and orthopedic patients

I have learned research design and statistical analysis through previous studies in

evaluating balance and activities of daily living among stroke patients. Recently, I

have focused my attention on understanding hand function of normal subjects and

orthopedic patients. Evaluation of hand function is very important, because the

treatment plans and the assessment of the treatment results are dependent on the

overall function of the hand. Thus, a standardized test that can be easily performed in

a short period of time and yield reproducible results that correlate with common

activities of daily living is needed. However, most available hand function tests were

designed for special diagnoses and questions, or do not take into account cultural

differences and are therefore not suitable for Chinese populations. Thus, the goal of

my work is to find proper hand function tests to assess overall hand function.

Hopefully, in the near future I can develop professional and standardized hand

function evaluation tools that are suitable for the Chinese culture and practical for

clinical use. Another of my longterm research goals is to construct effective

occupational therapy treatment protocols for orthopedic patients.