Measuring What Matters: Validating the HANDFULS Tool with Pediatric Burn Survivors.

Cohort studyJournal of burn care & research : official publication of the American Burn Association· Jul 2026

Measuring What Matters: Validating the HANDFULS Tool with Pediatric Burn Survivors.

Ingrid Parry, Sandra Taylor, David Greenhalgh, Michelle A James

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Plastic SurgeryCohort studyClinical practiceQ2IF 1.8

Most children with hand burns regain normal hand function within two years.

Measuring What Matters: Validating the HANDFULS Tool with Pediatric Burn Survivors.

Ingrid Parry … Michelle A James

Journal of burn care & research · Jul 2026 · Q2 in Surgery

Background

Hand and finger burns are common in children and often cause functional limitations.

Purpose

This study aimed to validate Hand Accumulation and Dexterity Functional Limits- Shriners with pediatric patients with hand burns and establish functional recovery trajectories relative to age-matched non-injured peers.

Methods

This prospective longitudinal study assessed hand function in 119 children (165 hands) for 2 years post-burn.

n = 165 hands

Results

most children had normal hand function two years after their burn

45.2%

PWV at 2mo

31.8%

HANDFULS at 2mo

77.6%

PWV at 24mo

78.1%

HANDFULS at 24mo

More results

Despite the importance of hand function during development, few outcome measures are validated for pediatric burn survivors.

Palmar workspace volume and Hand Accumulation and Dexterity Functional Limits- Shriners scores were compared with non-injured peers and analyzed by surgical status.

More results

Palmar workspace volume scores improved by 1.5 marbles (p = 0.005) and Hand Accumulation and Dexterity Functional Limits- Shriners scores by 1.2 sec/marble (p = 0.002) over two years, with the greatest gains observed between 2-6 months.

“

Conclusion

Hand Accumulation and Dexterity Functional Limits- Shriners provides objective outcome information about recovery from hand burns to support clinical decision-making and guide rehabilitation.

Measuring What Matters: Validating the HANDFULS Tool with Pediatric Burn Survivors.

Measuring What Matters: Validating the HANDFULS Tool with Pediatric Burn Survivors.

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