Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–Hand Function Test: Assessment of Gross Motor Function in Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury

This study aimed to assess the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute–Hand Function Test (TRI-HFT) for individuals with spinal cord injury. The TRI-HFT evaluates unilateral gross motor function of the hand, focusing on palmar grasp and precision grip, using everyday objects. The study found the TRI-HFT to be a reliable and sensitive measure for assessing hand function in individuals with tetraplegia, with moderate to strong construct validity.

• 1
  The TRI-HFT demonstrated high interrater reliability, with an intercorrelation coefficient (ICC) of 0.98.
• 2
  Moderate to strong correlations were found between TRI-HFT total scores and self-care components of FIM and SCIM post therapy.
• 3
  The TRI-HFT was found to be highly sensitive in determining differences in hand function before and after therapy.