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Results for “Pinch Strength”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of early mobilisation on grip strength, pinch strength and work of hand muscles in cases of closed diaphyseal fracture radius-ulna treated with dynamic compression plating.

AIMS: The purpose of the study was to objectively determine the effects of early mobilisation in terms of grip strength and work of hand muscles in cases of closed diaphyseal fracture radius - ulna treated with dynamic compression plating. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Fifty normal subjects and Twenty-one patients, (Eleven patients treated with early active and resistive goal directed mobilisation and Ten control group) were assessed for pinch strength and grip strength on Pinch Dynamometer and Jamar Dynamometer and work of hand muscles on Ergograph. Standardised positions of the equipments and patients were maintained throughout the study. RESULTS: Results showed highly significant reduction in performance in patients treated with early mobilisation as compared to normal subjects in their first assessment (Fourth week post operatively). These patients showed significant improvement in successive assessments (sixth & eighth post operative week) on exercising in between these assessments. CONCLUSIONS: There are significant effects on grip strength and work of hand muscles in patients treated with that early active and resistive goal directed mobilisation.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Long-term outcome of muscle strength in ulnar and median nerve injury: comparing manual muscle strength testing, grip and pinch strength dynamometers and a new intrinsic muscle strength dynamometer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the outcome of muscle strength with manual muscle strength testing grip and pinch strength measurements and a dynamometer which allows for measurements of the intrinsic muscles of the hand in isolation (the Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer, RIHM). METHODS: Thirty-four patients more than 2 years after ulnar and/or median nerve injury. Muscle strength was evaluated using manual muscle strength testing (MMST), grip, pinch and intrinsic muscle strength measurements. RESULTS: Manual muscle strength testing showed that most muscles recover to grade 3 or 4. Average grip strength recovery, as percentage of the uninjured hand, was 83%. Pinch strength recovery was 75%, 58% and 39% in patients with ulnar, median and combined nerve injuries, respectively. The RIHM measurements revealed a poor recovery of the ulnar nerve innervated muscles in particular (26-37%). No significant correlation (Pearson) was found between the measurements of the RIHM and grip strength. Pinch strength was significantly correlated with strength of the abduction of thumb and opposition of the thumb strength (r 0.55 and 0.72, p = 0.026, 0.002) as measured with the RIHM. CONCLUSION: While manual muscle strength testing and grip strength measurements show a reasonable to good recovery, measurements of the intrinsic muscles by means of the RIHM showed poor recovery of intrinsic muscle strength after peripheral nerve injury. No correlation was found between the recovery of intrinsic muscle strength and grip strength measurements.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1989

Normal pinch strength.

The normal pinch strength was determined with the Mannerfelt-Ulrich intrinsic meter in 90 men and women aged 21-65 years. The pinch strength decreased with increasing age. The ratio dominant/nondominant hand was 1.12, 0.13 (mean, SD) for both men and women. The ratio would be useful in evaluating pinch strength under pathologic conditions.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Grip and pinch strength in relation to function in denervated hands.

A study was conducted in the Schieffelin Leprosy Research and Training Centre, Karigiri, Tamil Nadu, from March to September 2000 to find out the relationship between grip and pinch strengths and basic activities of daily living (BADL) in leprosy patients. Sixty-two patients (mean age: 36.1 years) suffering from impairment of motor nerve function in one or both hands were included in the study. Grip strength and pinch strength, namely pulp-to-pulp pinch strength, lateral pinch strength, tripod pinch strength, were measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer and a pinch gauge. BADL was assessed using Karigiri activities of daily living rating scale. Frequency table, mean, median, range, standard deviation, correlation and multiple regressions were used in analysis. The results showed that there was a highly significant correlation (p < 0.001) between the grip and pinch strength and BADL. Multiple regression analysis showed only tripod pinch strength had a significant, independent influence on the BADL. Other two pinch strengths and grip strength were not significant. These results suggest that there is a significant relationship between the grip and pinch strengths and BADL. The tripod pinch strength is the most important hand strength contributing to the problems in BADL. In a measure of association between impairment and disability, the results revealed that out of 62 patients with physical impairment of the hand, 59 (95.2%) had experienced disabilities. This indicated that, despite impairment, 4.8% do not have any disabilities.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Inter-instrument reliability of pinch strength scores.

The consistency of pinch scores obtained with new devices compared with that of scores obtained by traditional devices underlies the ability of therapists to use new devices when communicating about patient status or using normative data published for these traditional devices. This study determined the inter-instrument reliability of pinch strength scores obtained using three commercially available pinch gauges (B&L, JTech and NK pinch gauges). Volunteers (average age, 32 years; range, 18 to 80 years; 19 women, 21 men; 20 with hand pathology, 20 without hand pathology) were tested on a single occasion using all three devices. Each subject was tested with the elbow at 90%, the forearm neutral, and the wrist in neutral deviation. Three trials of maximum tripod and key pinch strength were performed. The hand tested first and the instrument order were randomized. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The inter-instrument error and its associated boundaries (+/- 2 SD) were also calculated. Intraclass correlation coefficients were high for both affected and unaffected hands in patients (> 0.90) and in subjects without pathology (> 0.80). Average instrument error was close to zero and was similar between instruments, indicating a lack of instrument bias. These results suggest that pinch strength scores obtained with any of these three pinch gauges can be compared with normative data obtained with either of the other pinch gauges.

Confidence Intervals↗

PubMed1989

Fluctuation in grip and pinch strength among normal subjects.

Grip and pinch strength testing are commonly used to evaluate hand strength for disability ratings and to assess responses to various forms of therapy. This study determined the variations in grip and pinch strength in normal individuals. Ninety-five healthy subjects--61 women and 34 men--were examined prospectively by use of a Jamar dynamometer and a Preston pinch gauge. Grip and pinch were measured in the morning and afternoon twice a week for 3 weeks, giving a total of 12 testing periods. Mean grip strength fluctuated between 5.1 and 8.4 kg, or between 19.2% and 23.7%. Mean lateral pinch strength fluctuated between 2.6 and 3.8 pounds, or between 13.8% and 17.6%. There were no differences between the morning and afternoon values. Grip and pinch strength fluctuate over time. Repeat testing is necessary to accurately assess hand strength. Grip and pinch strength do not vary from morning to afternoon.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Measurement of thumb abduction strength: normative data and a comparison with grip and pinch strength.

Abduction strength of the thumb was measured in normal men (n = 101; age range, 21-94 years) and women (n = 208; age range, 20-97 years). Abduction-strength measurements were conducted concurrently with grip and pinch strength measurements made by well-established clinical methods. Normal values were established and stratified by age and sex. Thumb abduction strength generally correlated with grip and pinch strength. All strength variables at all ages were greater in men than in women. The magnitude of all strength variables was maintained from 20 to 59 years of age, then decreased with increasing age in both men and women. Measurement of thumb abduction strength may prove to be a useful adjunct to the various tests currently used by hand surgeons to assess hand function.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

The effect of wrist and arm postures on peak pinch strength.

This paper examines the effect of various arm postures on peak pinch strength. Twenty (20) able-bodied, male subjects volunteered to participate in a set of two experiments. The first experiment examined the effect of shoulder and elbow posture on peak pinch strength. The second experiment examined the effect of forearm posture, wrist posture, and pinch type on peak pinch strength. Results from the first experiment indicated that elbow posture had a significant effect on pinch strength. It was documented that extreme elbow flexion decreased pinch strength by up to 9%. Results from the second experiment indicated that deviated wrist postures, forearm postures, and pinch type significantly decreased pinch strength as much as 33%. Ergonomic guidelines which utilize the above factors as significant modifiers of pinch strength capacity may assist ergonomists to reduce the risk of injury and development of cumulative trauma disorders in the workplace.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

A study of pinch strength in normal Taiwanese adults.

The purpose of this study was to describe norms of pinch strength for normal Taiwanese adults and to investigate the effects of age, gender, height, weight, and digit length on pinch strength. Three types of pinch (i.e. tip, key, and palmar pinch) were measured for a sample of 356 adults aged 20 to 88 years from a major metropolitan city located in southern Taiwan. A newly calibrated B&L pinch gauge was used for strength measurements with a standardized position during testing. The dominant hand was tested first, followed by the nondominant hand. The average of two trials for each pinch strength test was used as the subject's test scores. The results indicated that in the male group, pinch strength remained relatively stable up to 50 to 59 years old before a decline began, whereas pinch strength peaked with the 40- to 59-year-old group for female subjects. Males were stronger than females on all prehension patterns. Pinch strength of the right hand was significantly affected by such variables as the lengths of thumb and index finger and height, along with weight. With regard to the left hand, only height and weight had significant impact on pinch strength. Finally, there was an overall 13% pinch strength difference between the dominant and nondominant hands for the total sample. These findings provide therapists with objective data concerning the pinch strength of the Taiwanese adult's hand for clinical use.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Grip and key pinch strength: norms for 15- to 22-year-old Chinese students.

BACKGROUND: Establishment of norms for hand strength is emerging worldwide and is both important and necessary in public health and hand surgery. The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for hand grip and key pinch strength for 15- to 22-year-old Chinese students. METHODS: The Jamar dynamometer was used to measure grip strength and the Jamar pinch gauge to measure key pinch strength. All subjects were free of disease or injury that might affect hand strength. All complementary factors such as age, sex, height, weight, dominant hand for writing and exercise were recorded. The influences of injury, exercise and living habits on the performance of hand strength were also examined. RESULTS: Out of a total of 2,982 students examined, there were nine men (0.39%) who used the left hand for writing, 143 men (6.27%) who used the left hand during exercise, two women (0.28%) who wrote with the left hand and 26 women (3.70%) who used the left hand during exercise. The mean grip and key pinch strength of the left hand was about 90% that of the right hand. The mean grip and key pinch strength of the women was about 60% that of men. CONCLUSIONS: A strong correlation between the right hand and the left hand in grip and key pinch strength was found. Whether nonanthropometric factors may affect hand strengths was explored as well.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Grip and pinch strength: norms for 6- to 19-year-olds.

The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for 6- to 19-year-olds on four tests of hand strength. The Jamar dynamometer was used to measure grip strength and a pinch gauge was used to measure tip, key, and palmar pinch. A sample of 231 males and 240 females from the seven-county Milwaukee area was tested, using standardized positioning and instructions. Results of this study indicate that increases in grip and pinch strength coincide with increases in chronological age, that males are stronger than females in all age groups, and that hand dominance does not significantly affect hand strength scores. Normative data collected in this study were slightly higher than norms from previous American and Australian studies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

The effect of menopause on grip and pinch strength: results from the Chicago, Illinois, site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.

Women may experience a decline in physical function during menopause. Whether this decline is due to aging or to changes in hormonal status is unknown. The authors performed a longitudinal data analysis on data collected between 1996 and 2001 to determine the effects of menopausal status, age, race, and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on 3-year changes in grip and pinch strength. Participants were 563 women from the Chicago, Illinois, site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation. According to adjusted analyses, women who became postmenopausal showed a 1.04-kg decline in grip strength (p = 0.10) and a 0.57-kg decline in pinch strength (p = 0.002) relative to women who remained premenopausal. Women who became early perimenopausal showed a 0.20-kg decline in pinch strength (p = 0.04), whereas women who transitioned to late perimenopause showed a 0.93-kg decline in grip strength (p = 0.07). Effects of menopausal status on grip and pinch strength did not vary by race. A significant HRT-by-race interaction for grip strength was found; African-American HRT users had greater grip strength during the study, whereas Caucasian HRT users did not (p = 0.05). Greater physical activity was the strongest predictor of grip and pinch strength (p < 0.0001). Results indicate that transition through menopause is associated with a decline in grip and pinch strength.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Measuring pad-pad pinch strength in a non-human primate: Macaca fascicularis.

The primary purpose of this study was to establish a methodology for determining and perhaps predicting (via regression analysis of anthropometric measures) Macaca fascicularis isometric pinch strength for a specific task. The larger purpose of this work was to properly scale a pinching task for the monkeys in order to study dose-response relationships in a non-human primate model for carpal tunnel syndrome. Three female and one male macaque (n=4) of varying size and age were trained to perform a left-handed pad-pad pinch. The task required 60 degrees of wrist flexion at a static pinching distance of 3 cm between the thumb and fingers. Subjects were trained for a period of 20-weeks. After that time, an analysis of performance gradients found that they had each reached a plateau in their force output. Pinch strength for the four animals ranged from 29.4 to 59.8 N. Regression analysis revealed that body mass (kg) and wrist circumference (cm) were both predictive of pinch strength, exhibiting adjusted R(2) values of 0.93 (p=0.024) and 0.96 (p=0.015), respectively. Thus, the results suggest that maximal pinch strength could be acceptably estimated in future subjects using either the wrist circumference or the body mass measures, as both were strong predictors of pad-pad pinch strength.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Measuring normal hand dexterity values in normal 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children and their relationship with grip and pinch strength.

After surgery for trauma or correction of congenital anomaly, hand function is difficult to evaluate in children because there are no reference norms on children 3 to 5 years old. The purpose of this study was to determine whether reproducible normative values for hand dexterity and grip and pinch strength could be obtained in young children using simple tests that could be administered quickly within the attention span of a 3- to 5-year-old. The Functional Dexterity Test (FDT), a pegboard test validated for adults and older children, seemed to meet our requirements for dexterity. The FDT was administered to a convenience sample of normal children in a prekindergarten school who were grouped according to age: 3-year-olds (n = 17), 4-year-olds (n = 24), and 5-year-olds (n = 22). Hand dominance was determined. The task was demonstrated by 1 of the 2 testers. The child was asked to turn the pegs over in the pegboard without using the free hand or balancing the peg against the chest. Both hands were tested. Grip and pinch strengths were measured in both hands in a consistent manner. All the children were tested with the arm at the side and the elbow at 90 degrees. A dynamometer was used for grip strength and a pinch meter was used to measure key (lateral) and tripod pinch strengths. Means and SDs were calculated for each age group, and the dependent values of dexterity, strength, and dominance were correlated. Dexterity and strength scores were significantly different by age group. A good FDT score in the dominant hand was predictive of a good score in the nondominant hand. Grip and pinch strength correlated poorly with functional dexterity. The normative values established in this study for children in the 3- to 5-year-old range can be referenced for disability estimates and establishing goals for children after surgery or hand injury.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2006

Do grip and pinch strength predict neurologic complications in children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus?

BACKGROUND: Neurological complications occur commonly in children with meningomyelocele and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. An earlier study suggested that acute changes in grip and pinch strength could be used to identify individuals at increased risk for developing a neurological complication. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of grip and pinch measurements to screen for neurological problems in children with spina bifida and hydrocephalus. DESIGN: A prospective evaluation of screening tests. PATIENTS: 92 children, born since 1976, who had meningomyelocele and hydrocephalus and were treated at the University of Rochester Medical Center. METHODS: Grip and pinch strength were measured between July, 1991, and June, 2003. RESULTS: Mean grip and pinch strengths were similar to those found in previous studies of children with meningomyelocele; 58 neurological events occurred in 39 (40%) individuals. These included 31 episodes of ventricular shunt failure and 22 symptomatic tethered cord occurrences. Specificity, sensitivity and likelihood ratios were calculated in multiple ways using different criteria for loss of grip or pinch strength and for interval to neurological event. Sensitivities were low (<0.35) and the highest positive likelihood ratio found, using fall in either lateral pinch with 6 months to neurological event, was 2.3. CONCLUSIONS: Despite previous recommendations, grip and pinch measurements were not helpful when used as a routine screening test for neurological dysfunction for children with meningomyelocele and hydrocephalus.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Effect of wrist position on power grip and key pinch strength following carpal tunnel decompression.

Power grip and thumb key pinch strength were measured pre- and immediately postoperatively in 30 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome while the wrist was in flexion and extension. The carpal tunnel decompression was performed under local infiltration with 1% lignocaine. Grip strength decreased more in wrist flexion than in wrist extension. No difference was found in thumb pinch strength. The authors conclude that some of the immediate postoperative loss of grip strength in wrist flexion can be attributed to prolapse of flexor tendons out of the carpal tunnel in this position.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Measurement of maximum voluntary pinch strength: effects of forearm position and outcome score.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of forearm position and outcome score on key, fingertip, and three-jaw chuck pinch strength. Maximum voluntary key, fingertip, and three-jaw chuck pinches were performed by 135 healthy adults (20-88 years old) three times in a pronated, supinated, and neutral forearm position with the right and left hand using a B&L (B&L Engineering, Tustin, CA) pinch gauge. The highest, first, and mean scores of three pinch forces were recorded. Three 3 x 3 factorial repeated-measures analyses tested each type of pinch strength. Forearm position affected key and fingertip pinches (p<0.017; effect sizes <0.14) but not three-jaw chuck pinch. The highest score ranked highest followed by the first and then the mean of the three scores (p<0.017; effect sizes >0.53). Although the effects of type of outcome score were consistent, the statistically significant effects of forearm position and outcome score may be too small (<1 lb) to be clinically relevant. Standardized positioning during pinch strength measurement is still recommended despite these findings.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The effect of hand osteoarthritis on grip and pinch strength and hand function in postmenopausal women.

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of osteoarthritis on hand function in postmenopausal women. One hundred patients with hand OA and 70 healthy volunteers as controls were evaluated. Grip and pinch strength measurements and Dreiser's functional index were used for hand function. Pain was assessed by a visual analog scale, and tenderness was assessed by palpation and scored, depending on the severity of tenderness, as 0, 1 or 2. Heberden's and Bouchard's nodules and joint involvement were also recorded. The number of patients with only distal interphalangeal joint involvement was 50 (50%), those with distal interphalangeal joint plus proximal interphalangeal joint involvement was 49 (49%), and those with carpometacarpal joint involvement numbered 18 (18%). The incidence of Heberden's and Bouchard's nodules was 85% and 36%, respectively. Eighty-six (86%) patients were suffering from pain and 57 were found to have tenderness. Grip and pinch strength was significantly lower (p<0.05) and Dreiser's functional index score was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the study group (particularly in grade 4 OA). Grip strength was lower in hand OA patients with distal interphalangeal joint plus proximal interphalangeal joint involvement than in those with only distal interphalangeal joint and carpometacarpal joint involvement. Pinch strength was also lower in patients with distal interphalangeal joint plus proximal interphalangeal joint plus carpometacarpal joint involvement. The patients with Heberden's and Bouchard's nodules had lower grip and pinch strength than controls. Also, pain and tenderness had significant (p<0.05) effects on hand function. Dreiser's total score ranged from 0 to 10 in 80 (80%) patients and from 11 to 20 in 20 patients. In conclusion, hand osteoarthritis contributes to hand dysfunction, mainly related to the severity of osteoarthritis, pain, joint involvement and the presence of nodules.

Aged↗