Six patients with spinal cord injury who ranged in age from 25 to 42 years were selected for surgery that used a tendon transfer for opposition-adduction of one thumb and arthrodesis of the carpometacarpal joint of the other in each patient. At follow-up 2 to 6 years later, the hands with the opponens-adductorplasty had a slightly stronger lateral pinch (3.75 kg versus 3.31 kg), but the hands with the carpometacarpal arthrodesis had a somewhat stronger grasp (7.42 kg versus 6.86 kg). The patients did not exhibit a consistent preference for either method, but rather, were particularly pleased that their hands had been reconstructed differently, thereby allowing each to be somewhat "specialized" for certain activities.