The Year Book of Hand Surgery, 1987 Year Book Series.

The Year Book of Hand Surgery. 1987 Year Book Series The 1987 Yearbook of Hand Surgery, like earlier volumes in this series, consists of annotated abstracts of original journal articles dealing with various aspects of hand surgery and treatment. The reviews are collected into 18 categories; 15 of these deal with specific types of pathology affecting the hand, and the remaining 3 address diagnosis and evaluation of hand problems, hand anatomy and biomechanics, and research related to hand surgery or hand function. The original articles reviewed were included in 41 journals that represent a wide range of highly regarded national and international publications. The original articles were published in 1985 and early 1986. All reviews were prepared by physicians and surgeons practicing and teaching either at the Mayo Clinic or at Stanford University School of Medicine.

The bulk of the reviews were prepared by about four individuals.

Each review consists of a brief abstract of the original article. When particularly relevant, one illustration from the original is included. Reviewer comments are appended either to individual reviews or to the review of a group of articles dealing with the same subject. The abstracts provide sufficient information to give the reader a succinct overview of the original article. The reviewers' comments are helpful in determining the value of the original article. When personal opinion is expressed, it is clearly indicated. The comments frequently make comparisons among similar articles, whether or not all the articles referenced are included in the abstracts. All references are stated clearly.

The format and style chosen by the editors of the Yearbook make the information readily accessible to the reader. The organization of abstracts into topics is logical. For the reader searching for publications by specific authors, an author index and a subject index are provided. The print and photographic reproductions are a pleasure to see in contrast to the style frequently encountered in published symposia or workshops.

Collections of reviews, such as this Yearbook, are of value to the therapist who has limited access to original journal articles and who is relatively new to the literature in the field being reviewed. The individual therapist probably would not find that a subscription to such a series would be of continuing value. However, this Yearbook series could be of definite worth as part of a library collection accessible to a teaching or research program in physical therapy. As indicated by the title, minimal reference is made to treatment of the hand other than by surgical procedures. Articles concerning follow-up care and presurgical evaluation protocols would increase the value of this book for the therapist involved in hand treatment.