Reliability of hand strength measurements using the Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer in children. 2008

H M Ties Molenaar, and Ruud W Selles, and Ton A R Schreuders, and Steven E R Hovius, and Henk J Stam
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. H.Molenaar@erasmusmc.nl

OBJECTIVE Grip strength and pinch strength measurements are often used to assess hand function. However, both measure a number of muscle groups in combination, and grip strength in particular is dominated by extrinsic hand muscles. The Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer (RIHM) was recently introduced to measure the force that individual fingers and thumb can exert in different directions. The aim of this study was to establish the reliability of these measurements with use of the RIHM in children. METHODS Sixty-three healthy children between 4 and 12 years of age participated in this study. The RIHM was used to measure thumb palmar abduction, thumb opposition, thumb flexion at the metacarpal-phalangeal (MP) joint, index finger abduction, and little finger abduction. A retest was performed with an average test-retest interval of 26 days. RESULTS For the thumb, palmar abduction strength had intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of .98 for both hands. For both thumb opposition and flexion at the MP joint, ICCs were .97 for the dominant hands and .98 for the nondominant hands. Index finger abduction had ICCs of .94 and .95 and little finger abduction had ICCs of .90 and .92 for the dominant and nondominant hands, respectively. The smallest detectable differences for dominant and nondominant hands respectively were thumb palmar abduction, 15% and 15%; thumb opposition, 12% and 9%; thumb flexion (at the MP joint), 12% and 9%; abduction of the index finger, 17% and 17%; and little finger abduction, 26% and 26%. CONCLUSIONS We found that the RIHM was reliable for use in children. Intraclass correlation coefficients and smallest detectable differences were comparable with those obtained with use of the RIHM in adults and with values found for pinch and grip strength in children. Because the RIHM measures more specific aspects of hand function than grip and pinch, adding the RIHM to measurement protocols may contribute to a more complete overview of a child's hand function.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D009119 Muscle Contraction A process leading to shortening and/or development of tension in muscle tissue. Muscle contraction occurs by a sliding filament mechanism whereby actin filaments slide inward among the myosin filaments. Inotropism,Muscular Contraction,Contraction, Muscle,Contraction, Muscular,Contractions, Muscle,Contractions, Muscular,Inotropisms,Muscle Contractions,Muscular Contractions
D012016 Reference Values The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality. Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D002675 Child, Preschool A child between the ages of 2 and 5. Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004867 Equipment Design Methods and patterns of fabricating machines and related hardware. Design, Equipment,Device Design,Medical Device Design,Design, Medical Device,Designs, Medical Device,Device Design, Medical,Device Designs, Medical,Medical Device Designs,Design, Device,Designs, Device,Designs, Equipment,Device Designs,Equipment Designs
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293 Adolescent A person 13 to 18 years of age. Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D000367 Age Factors Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time. Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age

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