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Results for “Hand Strength”

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At least 1,207 records · Page 67Linked to original sources

PubMed2005

Muscle strength and aerobic capacity in a representative sample of employees with and without repetitive monotonous work.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study was to determine a possible association between the type of work individuals perform and his or her physical capacity. There was focus on whether workers performing repetitive monotonous work differ from workers with varied work tasks with respect to the physical capacity. METHODS: Maximal backward extension and forward flexion torques of the trunk, maximal shoulder elevation and abduction torques, handgrip strength and aerobic capacity were measured on 423 (213 male and 210 female) Danish employees with a mean age of 40 years. Half of the group had varied work and the other half had repetitive monotonous work. RESULTS: The main finding was that there is no difference in the measured physical capacities between employees with repetitive monotonous work and those compared with workers with varied work tasks. CONCLUSIONS: No difference in the physical capacities measured in the two groups of employees was found. Reasons for this are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Wrist arthrodesis using a Synthes wrist fusion plate.

Thirty-nine patients were retrospectively reviewed after a wrist arthrodesis using a Synthes wrist fusion plate and iliac crest bone graft. Information was obtained from review of patient files, a questionnaire to assess pain, function and work status, and clinical assessment of grip strength, forearm rotation and fingers motion. All wrist fusions united except that the index carpometacarpal joint failed to unite in one patient. Thirty-seven patients were satisfied with the procedure, noting a reduction in wrist pain after fusion, but all reported some limitation of function. The wrist fusion plate was removed in six patients and a further four patients experienced minor symptoms over the dorsal aspect of the middle finger metacarpal.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2000

Artificial sensorimotor integration in spinal cord injured subjects through neuromuscular and electrotactile stimulation.

Spinal cord injured (SCI) subjects lack sensorimotor functions. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) systems have been used to artificially restore motor functions, but without proprioceptive feedback, SCI subjects can control NMES systems only when they can see their limbs. In a gait restoration system, the subject looks down to the ground to be aware of where his foot is while in a grasping activity, maximum grip strength is employed regardless of the force that is required to perform tasks. This report focuses on artificial sensorimotor integration. Multichannel stimulation was used to restore motor functions while encoded tactile sensation (moving fused phantom images) relating to artificially generated movements was provided by electrotactile stimulation during walking and grasping activities. The results showed that the sensorimotor integration attained yielded both the recognition of artificial grasp force patterns and a technique to be used by paraplegics allowing spatial awareness of their limb while walking.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

The material-weight illusion revisited.

Experiment 1 documents modality effects on the material-weight illusion for a low-mass object set (58.5 g). These modality effects indicate that the material-weight illusion is principally a haptically derived phenomenon: Haptically accessed material cues were both sufficient and necessary for full-strength illusions, whereas visually accessed material cues were only sufficient to generate moderate-strength illusions. In contrast, when a high-mass object set (357 g) was presented under the same modality conditions, no illusions were generated. The mass-dependent characteristic of this illusion is considered to be a consequence of differing grip forces. Experiment 2 demonstrates that the enforcement of a firm grip abolishes the low-mass material-weight illusion. Experiment 3 documents that a firm grip also diminishes perceptual differentiation of actual mass differences. Several possible explanations of the consequences of increasing grip force are considered.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Influence of fluid status on techniques used to assess body composition in peritoneal dialysis patients.

OBJECTIVE: A reliable assessment of nutritional state in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients is of great importance. Nevertheless, techniques used to assess body composition in patients on PD may be affected by abnormalities in fluid status. The primary aim of the present study was to compare different techniques used to evaluate body composition and to assess the influence of fluid status on the assessment of body composition. The secondary aim was to assess the relevance of handgrip muscle strength in the nutritional evaluation of the patient. METHODS: In 40 PD patients, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), multifrequency bioimpedance analysis (MF-BIA), and anthropometry were compared with respect to the evaluation of body composition [fat mass and lean body mass (LBM; by DEXA), and fat-free mass (FFM; by MF-BIA, anthropometry]. The influence of fluid status on the measurement of LBM/FFM by the various techniques was assessed by their relation to left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDD), assessed by echocardiography, and by estimating the ratio between extracellular water (ECW) and total body water (TBW), assessed by bromide and deuterium dilution, with LBM (DEXA). The relevance of handgrip muscle strength as a nutritional parameter was assessed by its relation to LBM and other nutritional parameters. RESULTS: Despite highly significant correlations, wide limits of agreement between the various techniques were present with respect to assessment of body composition (expressed as % body weight) and were most pronounced for anthropometry: LBM (DEXA) - FFM (MF-BIA) = 3.4% +/- 12.2%; LBM (DEXA) - FFM (anthropometry) = -5.7% +/- 7.8%; fat mass (DEXA - MF-BIA) = -4.2% +/- 7.9%; fat mass (DEXA - anthropometry) = 2.9% +/- 7.2%. The ratio between ECW and LBM (DEXA) was 0.36 +/- 0.08 L/kg (range 0.25 - 0.67 L/kg), and the ratio between TBW and LBM was 0.75 +/- 0.06 L/kg (range 0.63 - 0.86 L/kg), which shows the variability in hydration state of LBM/FFM between individual patients. LBM/FFM measured by all three techniques was significantly related to LVEDD, suggesting an important influence of hydration state on this parameter. Handgrip muscle strength was significantly related to LBM/FFM, as measured by all three techniques, but not to other nutritional parameters. CONCLUSION: Wide limits of agreement were found between various techniques used to assess body composition in PD patients. The assessment of body composition was strongly influenced by hydration state. The handgrip test is related to body composition, but not to other nutritional parameters.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Scaphotrapeziotrapezoid fusion: long-term follow-up study.

The long-term effectiveness of scaphotrapeziotrapezoid (STT) fusion is still controversial. We evaluated our clinical and radiological results of 30 STT fusions in 30 patients (average age 41 years; 23 males, 7 females). The follow-up period averaged 84 months. The indications were Kienböck's disease ( n= 23), isolated STT arthrosis ( n = 6), and dislocation of the trapezium ( n = 1). A total of 26 simultaneous associated procedures were performed. Excisional arthroplasty of the lunate was done in all 23 patients with Kienböck's disease. Of the 30 total patients, 5 had postoperative pain ranging from mild to severe; 4 patients were dissatisfied with the results. Postoperative ranges of motion of the wrist were 84% of extension and 91% of flexion compared with preoperative motion. The postoperative grip strength improved to 27 kgf from the preoperative value of 18 kgf. Altogether, 26 patients returned to their previous activities. All patients obtained uneventful STT fusion in an average of 11.2 weeks. Eight patients (27%) experienced postoperative complications; seven had radioscaphoid arthroses, five had trapeziometacarpal arthrodeses, and one had a flexor pollicis longus tendon rupture. Although radioscaphoid arthrosis occurred in 23% of this series after STT fusion, the results suggest that it is an effective procedure for Kienböck's disease and isolated STT arthrosis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

IL-6 gene variation is not associated with increased serum levels of IL-6, muscle, weakness, or frailty in older women.

Elevated levels of the inflammatory cytokine IL-6 are associated with the development of disability, frailty, and mortality in older adults. These outcomes are likely mediated through inflammatory activity that alters hormones, skeletal muscle, and the immune system. Polymorphic variants in the IL-6 gene influence IL-6 expression. We hypothesized that IL-6 alleles associate with increased serum of IL-6, decreased muscle strength, and frailty, and tested this in the Women's Health and Aging cohorts. We genotyped 463 participants age 70-79, and identified three common IL-6 haplotype blocks for the Caucasian (n=363) and African American (n=100) subsets. Using linear and logistic regression, and adjusting for age, BMI, race, and osteoarthritis, we identified no significant or clinically meaningful relationship between any single IL-6 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) or any IL-6 haplotype and serum IL-6 level, grip, knee, or hip strength, or frailty. Given that the promoter SNP (rs1800795) has been reported to influence IL-6 levels and health outcomes, we performed a similar association study in the In Chianti population (n=266) and confirmed lack of association. These results suggest that IL-6 gene variation may not be an important factor in the determination of elevated IL-6 levels and related phenotypes found in older women.

Aged↗

PubMed2003

Neuroprotection by aminoguanidine after lateral fluid-percussive brain injury in rats: a combined magnetic resonance imaging, histopathologic and functional study.

The present study examined the effects of a selective inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, aminoguanidine (AG), on neuronal cell survival and post-traumatic recovery in rats following a lateral fluid percussive brain injury. Daily treatment of AG at the dosage of 100 mg/kg or normal saline was given intraperitoneally into rats starting 2 h before or 30 min after brain injury. Treatment with AG significantly reduced lesion volumes in the brains of rats after injury, as evaluated by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Immunohistochemical analysis showed a marked induction of iNOS expression in brain macrophages ipsilateral to the injury. Apoptotic neurons were observed in the ipsilateral cerebral cortex by in situ terminal transferase d-UTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) and caspase-3 immunohistochemistry. In rats receiving prophylactic or post-injury treatment of AG, the number of degenerating neurons was markedly reduced in the cerebrum compared to those receiving saline injection. The location and extent of these pathologic changes correlated with MRI findings. Neurobehavioral studies showed that rotametric performance, grip-strength score, total and ambulatory locomotor responses and acoustic startle response were reduced in rats subjected to the injury but were significantly improved in AG-treated rats. It is suggested that inhibition of iNOS by AG may represent a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Relationship of neurological function and age in older women. The study of osteoporotic fractures.

The decline of neurological and neuromuscular function with age in older women and in subgroups of older women with selected risk factors for poor function is described using cross- sectional analyses of data on 8,080 women from the multicenter Study of Osteoporotic Fractures. All twelve performance-based tests of muscle strength, balance, gait, somatosensory discrimination and reaction time declined with increasing age. On a percentage scale, vibration threshold declined the most rapidly with age. Participants who were smokers, physically inactive, nonconsumers of alcohol, diabetics and more frequent fallers had poorer age-adjusted performance than those without these attributes. However, with a few exceptions, the rate of decline in performance with age for those with and without these characteristics did not differ significantly.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Treatment-related upper limb morbidity 1 year after sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection for stage I or II breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: In a prospective study, upper limb morbidity and perceived disability/activities of daily life (ADLs) were assessed before and 1 year after sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). METHODS: A total of 204 patients with stage I/II breast cancer (mean age, 55.6 years; SD, 11.6 years) entered the study, and 189 patients (93%) could be evaluated after 1 year. Fifty-eight patients (31%) underwent only SLNB, and 131 (69%) underwent ALND. Assessments performed before surgery (t(0)) and 1 year after surgery (t(1)), included pain, shoulder range of motion, muscle strength, upper arm/forearm circumference, and perceived shoulder disability/ADL. RESULTS: Considerable treatment-related upper limb morbidity was observed. Significant (P < .05) changes between t(0) and t(1) were found in all assessments except strength of elbow flexors. Patients in the ALND group showed significantly more changes in the range of motion in forward flexion, abduction, and abduction/external rotation; grip strength and strength of shoulder abductors; circumference of upper arm and forearm; and perceived shoulder disability in ADLs compared with the SLNB group. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that ALND could predict a decrease of range of motion in forward flexion, abduction, strength of shoulder abductors, grip strength, and shoulder-related ADLs and an increase in the circumference of the upper arm. Radiation of the axilla (19 patients) predicts an additional decrease in shoulder range of motion. CONCLUSIONS: One year after treatment of breast cancer, there is significantly less upper limb morbidity after SLNB compared with ALND. ALND is a predictor for upper limb morbidity.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of acute and chronic branched-chain amino acids on energy metabolism and muscle performance.

The aim of this study was to report the effects of acute and chronic branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) administration on energy metabolism and muscle performance. In the acute study which was double-blind, cross-over and placebo-controlled, 12 healthy male volunteers were administered orally on two consecutive days either BCAA (14.4 g/day) or isocaloric placebo; this was followed by measurement of oxygen consumption (VO2) and carbon dioxide production (VCO2) for 180 min by indirect calorimetry. In the chronic study, 10 healthy male volunteers were supplemented with BCAA (14.4 g/day) for 30 days. Before (T0) and after (T1) chronic BCAA administration, VO2, arm muscle area (AMA) and maximal voluntary contraction of forearm muscles (grip strength, GS) were evaluated. Acute study: Both meals increased mean respiratory quotient (RQ) from baseline: in the placebo group, this increase was short-term only (between 15 and 60 min), while this effect on RQ lasted for 120 min in the BCAA group. Moreover, between 30 and 90 min, mean RQ was significantly higher in the BCAA group than in the placebo group. Chronic study: GS increased significantly following chronic BCAA administration without significant changes in the AMA. At T0, VO2 increased significantly during the GS test, whereas at T1 no significant increase was observed. In conclusion, no excess thermogenesis could be detected as compared with placebo following acute BCAA administration, indirectly suggesting a relevant contribution of peripheral catabolic (bypassing liver) pathway to BCAA metabolism; furthermore, chronic BCAA supplementation improved the physical fitness of untrained healthy subjects, as demonstrated by the lack of 02 uptake increase during sustained hand grip test.

Administration, Oral↗

PubMed2006

Suspensionplasty with the abductor pollicis longus tendon for osteoarthritis in the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb.

PURPOSE: Many surgical procedures have been described for treating painful osteoarthritis at the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb. This article reports our clinical and radiographic results in performing suspensionplasty using the abductor pollicis longus (APL) tendon without tendon interposition after a complete trapeziectomy for patients with painful osteoarthritis in the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb. METHODS: Eighteen patients (2 men, 16 women), including 21 thumbs with advanced arthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint, who were treated by suspensionplasty using the APL tendon after a complete trapeziectomy were evaluated both clinically and radiographically. Ten thumbs were classified as stage III and 11 were classified as stage IV (Eaton's classification). The average follow-up period was 33.3 months. RESULTS: All patients (18 patients, 21 thumbs) reported pain with daily use before surgery; after surgery 13 of the 21 thumbs had no pain, 5 thumbs had mild pain with strenuous activity, and the remaining 3 thumbs had mild pain with light work. At the final follow-up evaluation the radial and palmar abductions each were 56 degrees +/- 9 degrees and 56 degrees +/- 6 degrees. The grip and key-pinch strengths were 16 +/- 6 kg and 4 +/- 1 kg, respectively. The first metacarpal subsidence at rest was 15% and the additional subsidence when performing a 2-kg key pinch was 6% in the final follow-up radiographic findings. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the APL suspensionplasty has a favorable outcome for painful osteoarthritis in the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb and that the APL tendon can be removed as a deforming force without any abduction weakness. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, Level IV.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

2-deoxy-D-glucose attenuates harmaline induced tremors in rats.

Neuronal hyperactivity in essential tremor is accompanied by high energy demand in cerebellum, medulla and the thalamus. It has been suggested that brain regions that have increased metabolic demands are highly vulnerable to interruptions in glucose metabolism. In the present investigation attempt was made to study the effect of 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) a glycolytic pathway inhibitor on harmaline induced tremor in rats. Wistar rats of either sex weighing 100+/-3 g were given harmaline (10 mg/kg, i.p.) alone or along with 2DG (15 min before harmaline) in doses of 300, 600 and 900 mg/kg, respectively. The latency of onset, intensity and duration of tremor following harmaline administration were recorded. Neurobehavioral responses, electromyography (EMG) and levels of blood glucose and cerebellar serotonin (5HT) were determined after 40 min of harmaline administration. 2DG significantly and dose dependently attenuated severity of harmaline induced tremors and amplitude of EMG. Treatment of rats with 2DG alone reduced the locomotor activity, however, no significant change was observed in grip strength, landing foot splay, air righting reflex and response to tactile stimuli. Harmaline alone and along with 2DG had no effect on behavioral parameters except a decrease in landing foot splay. 2DG produced a dose-dependent hyperglycemia and attenuated harmaline induced increase in cerebellar 5HT levels. Our results clearly suggest the protective effect of 2DG in harmaline induced tremor. Further studies are warranted to assess the role of glucoprivation in the suppression of neuronal excitability in tremors.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Ulnar wrist pain in athletes caused by erosion of the floor of the sixth dorsal compartment: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Ulnar-side wrist pain can be disabling for athletes because of limitation of pronation-supination during sports such as tennis and golf. Erosion of the floor of the sixth dorsal space should be considered for unresponsive ulnar-side wrist pain. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Four athletes with severe unresponsive ulnar-side wrist pain were identified. Because the usual treatment regimens were ineffective in all cases, surgery was indicated to attempt mitigation of symptoms. During surgical exploration, all patients had inflammatory tendon changes and erosions in the floor of the sixth dorsal space, deep to the extensor carpi ulnaris. A soft tissue interposition flap fashioned from the roof of the sixth compartment was used to cover the defect. RESULTS: Patients were evaluated by reexamination for range of motion, ability to perform daily and sports activities, strength, and residual pain. All patients had relief of their symptoms, had normal range of motion with no residual pain, and returned to tennis and golf. Strength improved a mean of 15 lb after surgery. The follow-up was 19 to 40 months (mean, 33 months). CONCLUSION: Erosion of the sixth compartment floor has been given very little attention in the literature. It should be suspected when severe ulnar-side pain persists in athletes after the usual methods of treatment. The interposition surgery described herein has been effective in 4 cases previously unresponsive to the usual methods of treatment for chronic tendinitis of the extensor carpi ulnaris or triangular fibrocartilage rupture.

Aged↗

PubMed1996

Local corticosteroid injection versus Cyriax-type physiotherapy for tennis elbow.

We performed a prospective, randomised trial on 106 patients to compare the effects of local corticosteroid injections with physiotherapy as advocated by Cyriax in the treatment of tennis elbow. The main outcome measures were the severity of pain, pain provoked by resisted dorsiflexion of the wrist, and patient satisfaction. At six weeks 22 of 53 patients in the injection group were free from pain compared with only three in the physiotherapy group. In the corticosteroid-treated group 26 patients had no pain on resisted dorsiflexion of the wrist compared with only three in the physiotherapy group. Thirty-five patients who had injections and 14 who had physiotherapy were satisfied with the outcome of treatment at six weeks. At the final assessment there were 18 excellent and 18 good results in the corticosteroid group and one excellent and 12 good results in the physiotherapy group. There was a significant increase in grip strength in both groups but those with injections had a significantly better result. After one year there were no significant differences between the two groups. Half of the patients, however, had received only the initial treatment, 20% had had combined therapy and 30% had had surgery. We conclude that at six weeks, treatment with corticosteroid injections was more effective than Cyriax physiotherapy and we recommend it because of its rapid action, reduction of pain and absence of side-effects.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

The influence of menstrual cycle phase on skeletal muscle contractile characteristics in humans.

The influence of the different phases of the menstrual cycle on skeletal muscle contractile characteristics was studied in 19 regularly menstruating women. Muscle function was measured when (i) oestrogen and progesterone concentrations were low (menstruation), (ii) oestrogen was elevated and progesterone was low (late follicular phase), and (iii) oestrogen and progesterone were both elevated (luteal phase).Maximal isometric quadriceps strength, fatiguability and electrically stimulated contractile properties were measured. Isokinetic knee flexion and extension strength and fatiguability were also assessed as well as handgrip strength. Menstrual cycle phases were confirmed through measurement of oestrogen, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone and luteinising hormone. No significant changes were found in any of the muscle function parameters throughout the menstrual cycle (n = 15). The muscle function measurements showed no significant correlations with any of the female reproductive hormone concentrations. These results suggest that the fluctuations in female reproductive hormone concentrations throughout the menstrual cycle do not affect muscle contractile characteristics.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol plus caffeine in rats: pregnancy outcome and early offspring development.

The factors determining susceptibility to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) are not fully understood. We used an animal model of alcohol-related birth defects to assess the coteratogenic potential of caffeine as a risk factor in FAS. Rats were exposed prenatally to alcohol (approximately 15 g/kg/day) with or without caffeine (approximately 84 mg/kg/day) from gestation days 6 through 20 via liquid diet. All control groups were pair-fed to the alcohol-exposed groups. In addition, some controls had free access to lab chow and water. Prenatal exposure to alcohol or caffeine reduced both maternal weight gain during pregnancy and birth-weight of offspring. The combination of alcohol plus caffeine produced an additive effect in reducing birthweight and synergistic effects in increasing postnatal offspring mortality. Prenatal alcohol exposure had a significant negative impact on several developmental indices, including grip strength and negative geotaxis. Prenatal caffeine exposure did not affect maturational measures and did reduce offspring serum levels of the zinc-dependent enzyme alkaline phosphatase. This study in rats demonstrated that caffeine can exacerbate some of the effects of alcohol on prenatal development, specifically reduced birthweight, litter size, and postnatal survival, but that caffeine does not appear to alter prenatal alcohol-induced delays in early postnatal maturation of survivors. The relative impact of intralitter birthweight rank on developmental outcome was also assessed.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Clinical and radiographic evaluation of surgical reconstruction of finger flexion in tetraplegia.

PURPOSE: To define the order and frequency of elongation in tendon junctions in extensor carpi radialis longus (ECRL) to flexor digitorum profundus tendon transfer and its correlation to grip strength and lack of finger flexion. METHODS: Forty-seven tetraplegic patients had surgery involving the reconstruction of finger flexion with the transfer of the ECRL in a total of 62 arms. During surgery metal markers were placed on both sides of the tendon-to-tendon attachment site. After surgery the distance between the markers was measured on radiographs. Any increase in the distance between the markers was judged as elongation. The grip strength and mean pulp-to-palm distance were evaluated a minimum of 6 months after surgery. Three arms had a second surgery because of insufficient functional results. RESULTS: The average final elongation was 9 +/- 10 mm (mean +/- SD). The mean grip strength was 16 +/- 12 kPa (range, 0-50). The lack of flexion (mean value of pulp-to-distal palmar crease of 3 ulnar digits) was 0.8 +/- 1.2 cm on average. Elongation up to 15 to 20 mm still was compatible with good grasp. CONCLUSIONS: The tendon junction after a transfer of the ECRL to the finger flexors can be overloaded. Elongation therefore must be considered as one among several possible causes of an unsatisfactory result after this type of tendon transfer but elongation less than 15 mm usually is compatible with excellent function.

Finger Joint↗