Abstract
The ability of the hands to grasp and manipulate is fundamental in the performance of activities of daily living (ADL). This ability is achieved with 25 degrees of freedom that are controlled by approximately 30 muscles located in the forearm and hand. Each of these muscles play a supporting role in upper extremity strength during ADL’s. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between hand and forearm strength. METHODS: This was a correlational study. Subjects completed an informed consent and demographic data were collected. This was followed by a 5-minute warm up of muscle activation of the forearm and hand. Measures of the left (L) and right (R) side included; hand grip strength (HGD) using a hand grip dynamometer, key (Key Pinch) and 3 jaw (3-jaw) pinch strength using a pinch gauge, and manual muscle testing (MMT) of wrist flexion (WF), wrist extension (WE), radial deviation (RD), ulnar deviation (UD), supination (S) and pronation (P) using a dynamometer. The highest value of three trials was used for analysis and significance was tested at .05.
RESULTS: The study consisted of 42 individuals (age = 29.81 ± 14). HGD L was significantly related to HGD R (r = .94, p<.05), Key Pinch L (r = -0.84, p<.05), Key Pinch R (r = .88, p<.05), 3-Jaw-L (r = .68, p <.05), 3-Jaw-R (r= .70, p< .05), MMT WF L (r = .55, p <.05), MMT WF R (r = .57, p<.05), MMT WE L (r= .69, p<.05), MMT WE R (r= .65, p<.05), MMT RD L (r= .50, p<.05), MMT RD R (r= .54, p<.05), MMT UD L (r= .61, p<.05), MMT UD R (r= .58, p< .05), MMT S L (r= .77, p<.05), MMT S R (r= .74, p<.05), MMT P L (r= .87, p<.05), MMT P R (r= .85, p< .05). HGD-R was significantly related to Key Pinch L (r = .82, p<.05), Key Pinch R (r = .84, p<.05), 3-Jaw-L (r = .62, p <.05), 3-Jaw-R (r= .67, p< .05), MMT WF L (r = .49, p <.05), MMT WF R (r = .50, p<.05), MMT WE L (r= .62, p<.05), MMT WE R (r= .57, p<.05), MMT RD L (r= .46, p< .05), MMT RD R (r= .49, p<.05), MMT UD L (r= .56, p< .05), MMT UD R (r= .52, p< .05), MMT S L (r= .74, p< .05), MMT S R (r= .70, p<.05), MMT P L (r= .79, p< .05), and MMT P R (r= .77, p< .05). CONCLUSION: The results indicate that hand grip strength is directly related to pinch strength and strength in various anatomical positions. This may suggest that hand grip strength could be used by practitioners to assess forearm and hand strength in order to evaluate upper limb function needed for ADL’s.
Recommended Citation
Buford, Jessica; Bevill, Raylee; Carter, Cali; Spindler, Lindsay; and Ruot, Chuck
(2024)
"The Relationship Between Hand Grip Strength, Forearm Strength, and Pinch Strength in Various Anatomical Positions,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2:
Iss.
16, Article 180.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol2/iss16/180