Abstract

Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) and other diseases cause different levels of dysfunction in the ability to grasp or grip with the hands. Modified and validated Bilan 400 points scale (PBM-400) helps to assess these functions. Objective: To determine the characteristics of hand function in children and young people with neuromotor disabilities according to gender, age, diagnosis and level using functional PBM-400. Patients and Methods: Descriptive and cross-sectional study on 138, 7 to 17 year-old patients with CP (diplegia, hemiparesis), obstetric brachial palsy (OBP) and others; with mild or moderate functional impairment, receiving treatment at Instituto Teletón in Santiago, Chile. Nine trained occupational therapists apply PBM-400 in standardized conditions, assessing hand mobility, grasp and/or movement, functional activities and grip strength with dynamometer, vigorimeter and pinch gauge. Result: 62.5% of diplegia patients and 100% of the patients with polyneuropathy, showed right laterality. According to functional impairment, right laterality prevails. Grip strength showed the lowest performance in all diagnoses, whereas in cases with prevalence of right-hand laterality it was functional activities. Significant differences in hand functionality were recorded depending on diagnosis and functional impairment, regardless of laterality. Age and gender do not affected hand functionality in the overall of children with various diagnoses. Conclusions: The modified Bilan 400 points scale helps to distinguish hand function depending on laterality, diagnose and functional impairment, becoming a generic scale for therapeutic decision making.