Self-Reported Physical Function and Grit Are Not Correlated in Patients Who Undergo Open Reduction Internal Fixation for Distal Radius Fractures.

PURPOSE: "Grit" is defined as the perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Thus, grittier patients may have a better function after common hand procedures; however, this is not well-documented in the literature. Our purpose was to assess the correlation between grit and self-reported physical function among patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for distal radius fractures (DRFs).

METHODS: Between 2017 and 2020, patients undergoing ORIF for DRFs were identified. They were asked to complete the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire before surgery and at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery. The first 100 patients with at least 1-year follow-up also completed the 8-question GRIT Scale, a validated measure of passion and perseverance for long-term goals measured on a scale of 0 (least grit) to 5 (most grit). The correlation between the QuickDASH and GRIT Scale scores was calculated using Spearman rho (ρ).

RESULTS: The average GRIT Scale score was 4.0 (SD, 0.7), with a median of 4.1 (range, 1.6-5.0). The median QuickDASH scores at the preoperative, 6-week postoperative, 6-month postoperative, and 1-year postoperative time points were 80 (range, 7-100), 43 (range, 2-100), 20 (range, 0-100), and 5 (range, 0-89), respectively. No significant correlation was found between the GRIT Scale and QuickDASH scores at any time.

CONCLUSIONS: We found no correlation between self-reported physical function and GRIT levels in patients undergoing ORIF for DRFs, suggesting no correlation between grit and patient-reported outcomes in this context. Future studies are needed to investigate the influence of individual differences in character traits other than grit on patient outcomes, which may help better align resources where needed and further the ability to deliver individualized, quality health care.

TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic IV.