Measuring Outcome in Upper-Extremity Transplantation

Measuring the outcome in upper-extremity transplantation is important to understand the potential of the procedure and to assist the patient and surgeon in decision making. The outcome of replantation varies with the anatomic level and mechanism of amputation; factors which inform the indications for replantation. We review the outcome measures used in upper-extremity transplantation and advocate for a combination of patient-answered outcomes, physical measurements, preference-based measurement, and cost analysis. Since this procedure is not common, and there is significant risk associated with immunosuppression, a catalogue of measurements should be accumulated for each patient to further inform surgeons and patients of the merit of these procedures.