Hueston tabletop test

Functional indication-for-surgery test described by Hueston (The Hand 1982). The patient attempts to lay the palm and fingers flat against a level surface; inability to achieve full flat-palm contact is a positive test. Used as a clinical threshold for considering operative correction, alongside patient-reported impairment.

Related terms

• Condition

  Dupuytren's disease

  Benign progressive fibroproliferative disorder of the palmar and digital fascia, classified by WHO 2020 as a palmar-type fibromatosis. Characterised by myofibroblast-driven formation of nodules and cords in the palmar aponeurosis, leading to progressive flexion contracture of the digits, most commonly the ring and little fingers.

• Glossary

  Tubiana classification

  Five-stage assessment of Dupuytren's contracture severity by total flexion deformity of an affected ray (sum of MCP, PIP, and DIP extension deficits): stage 0 (no disease), stage N (nodule, no contracture), stage 1 (0–45°), stage 2 (46–90°), stage 3 (91–135°), stage 4 (>135°). Described by Tubiana, Michon, and Thomine in 1968.

Articles mentioning this term

1. FESSH preparation · 26 September 2026

   Clinical examination of the hand and wrist

   Hand and wrist examination for FESSH candidates: how accurate the Phalen, Tinel, scratch collapse, Elson, Watson, grind, fovea and Allen tests really are.

2. Patient information · 5 May 2026

   Dupuytren's disease

   A plain-language guide to Dupuytren's disease — what it is, what causes it, how it is diagnosed, and the contemporary treatment options including needle fasciotomy and limited fasciectomy. Written for patients by a consultant hand surgeon.

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