[Importance of self-assessment in functional evaluation of trauma patients]

Abstract

The principle of self-assessment is performed successfully in a wide variety of medical disciplines and is increasingly gaining importance in orthopedic trauma surgery. Through the development and validation of joint-specific self-assessment questionnaires that enable estimation of the range of motion, a large number of patient-based instruments are available for comprehensive follow-up examination. A recently performed proof of concept study showed a high patient acceptance and therefore the development of a prospective, patient-centered fracture register based on the self-assessment functional analysis seems to be promising. The data obtained should reflect not only the reality of fracture treatment but also generate valuable epidemiological data with which evidence-based guidelines can be formed.

Keywords: Follow-up; Questionnaire; Range of motion; Self-assessment.