Man of the South blog Biomechanics Blog Post #4: Hand

 

If the soldier ended up losing the bet, then he would not be able to perform the movement called “opposition.” This movement is crucial in gripping objects; therefore, gripping objects would cause difficulty for the soldier. Depending if the left hand was his dominant hand, the soldier could have been discharged due to the injury. He would have to modify his lifestyles since his grip strength and his ability to grasp objects would decrease. His role of being a soldier will drastically change. He would have to compensate his lack of grip strength finger mobility on his left hand, by using his right hand more for working out, cleaning weapons or the barracks, tying his shoes, or even dressing himself. I would suggest a fifth digit prosthetic, or even a modality that can adapt his hand for gripping purposes. These modifications can fall under the outcomes: occupational performance, role competence, and quality of life. 

The wife had to adapt her lifestyle, since she lost her finger due to the bet. She might struggle putting on clothing, clipping her bra on, opening doors, driving her car, and grabbing objects around the house. She would have to overcompensate and use other muscles within his body that would not be natural to use during normal gripping contractions. This could lead to straining other muscles that are not used to working during that action, and that could potentially ruin her health and their finances as a couple. Also, she would have to alter her driving technique and dressing style to adapt to her situation. Some equipment she could invest in are Velcro shoes, an adaptation to his steering wheel, and purchasing low tech grips to place around utensils, tools, and other objects to allow herself to successfully grip them.