EFFECT OF HAND ANTHROPOMETRY INDICES ON THE MEASUREMENT OF HAND GRIP STRENGTH USING A HANDHELD DYNAMOMETER IN YOUNG ASIAN MALES

Hand grip strength is a measure of one’s muscle strength of the hand and forearm. It also indicates one’s general physical fitness. Hand grip strength is measured using a handheld dynamometer and this procedure can be affected by one’s hand anthropometry. Hand size and shape can be affected by one’s race and ethnicity and thus identifying the specific hand anthropometric measurement that would be related to hand grip strength for a particular ethnicity is important. Thus, this study investigated the relationship between different hand anthropometric measurements with hand grip strength using a handheld dynamometer in South Asian healthy young male adults. Full hand length, middle finger length, palm width and wrist thickness in 52 young male participants aged 18-25 years old were measured. Hand grip strength was measured using a handheld dynamometer. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to study the relationship of each anthropometric variable with hand grip strength. Our data showed, palm width significantly correlates with hand grip strength (r=0.461; p=0.00059). Middle finger length has a weak positive correlation (r=0.260; p=0.063), while full hand length and wrist thickness has no correlation with hand grip strength (r=0.048; p=0.734) and (r=0.094; p=0.509) respectively. Our results show that of the four anthropometry measurements of the hand used in this study, palm width has a strong association with hand grip strength, and it is a statistically significant determinant of hand grip strength in South Asian healthy male young adults. It can also be concluded that middle finger length and wrist thickness do not play a role in affecting hand grip strength.  Article visualizations

Estimating hand-grip forces causing Cumulative Trauma Disorder

Wearable sensors have garnered considerable interest because of their potential for various applications. However, much less has been studied about the Stretchsense pressure sensor characteristics and its workability for industrial application to prevent potential risk situations such as accidents and injuries. The proposed study helps investigate Stretchsense pressure sensors\u27 applicability for measuring hand-handle interface forces under static and dynamic conditions. The BendLabs sensors - a multi-axis, soft, flexible sensing system was attached to the wrist to evaluate the wrist angle deviations. In addition, the StretchSense stretch sensors were attached to the elbow joint to help estimate the elbow flexion/extension. The research tests and evaluates the real-time pressure distribution across the hand while performing given tasks and investigates the relationship between the wrist and elbow position and grip strength. The research provides objective means to assess the magnitudes of high pressures that may cause pressure-induced discomfort and pain, thereby increasing the hand\u27s stress. The experiment\u27s most significant benefit lies in its applicability to the actual tool handles outside the laboratory settings

HIPPO: Pervasive Hand-Grip Estimation from Everyday Interactions

Hand-grip strength is widely used to estimate muscle strength and it serves as a general indicator of the overall health of a person, particularly in aging adults. Hand-grip strength is typically estimated using dynamometers or specialized force resistant pressure sensors embedded onto objects. Both of these solutions require the user to interact with a dedicated measurement device which unnecessarily restricts the contexts where estimates are acquired. We contribute HIPPO, a novel non-intrusive and opportunistic method for estimating hand-grip strength from everyday interactions with objects. HIPPO re-purposes light sensors available in wearables (e.g., rings or gloves) to capture changes in light reflectivity when people interact with objects. This allows HIPPO to non-intrusively piggyback everyday interactions for health information without affecting the user's everyday routines. We present two prototypes integrating HIPPO, an early smart glove proof-of-concept, and a further optimized solution that uses sensors integrated onto a ring. We validate HIPPO through extensive experiments and compare HIPPO against three baselines, including a clinical dynamometer. Our results show that HIPPO operates robustly across a wide range of everyday objects, and participants. The force strength estimates correlate with estimates produced by pressure-based devices, and can also determine the correct hand grip strength category with up to 86\% accuracy. Our findings also suggest that users prefer our approach to existing solutions as HIPPO blends the estimation with everyday interactions.Peer reviewe

Disease, activity and schoolchildren's health (DASH) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa: a study protocol

BACKGROUND: An in-depth epidemiological investigation on intestinal parasite infections in an impoverished area of Port Elizabeth, South Africa provides a unique opportunity for research on its impact on children's physical fitness, cognitive performance and psychosocial health. Additionally, we will screen risk factors for the development of diabetes and hypertension in adulthood. METHODS/DESIGN: A 2-year longitudinal cohort study will be conducted, consisting of three cross-sectional surveys (baseline and two follow-ups), in eight historically black and coloured (mixed race) primary schools located in different townships in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Approximately 1000 Grade 4 primary schoolchildren, aged 8 to 12 years, will be enrolled and followed. At each survey, disease status, anthropometry and levels of physical fitness, cognitive performance and psychosocial health will be assessed. After each survey, individuals diagnosed with parasitic worm infections will be treated with anthelminthic drugs, while children with other infections will be referred to local clinics. Based on baseline results, interventions will be tailored to the local settings, embedded within the study and implemented in half of the schools, while the remaining schools will serve as controls. Implementation of the interventions will take place over two 8-week periods. The effect of interventions will be determined with predefined health parameters. DISCUSSION: This study will shed new light on the health burden incurred by children in deprived urban settings of South Africa and provide guidance for specific health interventions. Challenges foreseen in the conduct of this study include: (i) difficulty in obtaining written informed consent from parents/guardians; (ii) administration of questionnaires in schools where three languages are spoken (Afrikaans, Xhosa and English); (iii) challenges in grasping concepts of psychosocial health among schoolchildren using a questionnaire; and (iv) loss to follow-up due to the study setting where illiteracy, mobility and violence are common. Finally, designing the health interventions together with local principals and teachers will allow all concerned with the research to bolster a sense of community ownership and sustained use of the interventions after the study has ceased

Power grip, pinch grip, manual muscle testing or thenar atrophy - which should be assessed as a motor outcome after carpal tunnel decompression? A systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Objective assessment of motor function is frequently used to evaluate outcome after surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However a range of outcome measures are used and there appears to be no consensus on which measure of motor function effectively captures change. The purpose of this systematic review was to identify the methods used to assess motor function in randomized controlled trials of surgical interventions for CTS. A secondary aim was to evaluate which instruments reflect clinical change and are psychometrically robust.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The bibliographic databases Medline, AMED and CINAHL were searched for randomized controlled trials of surgical interventions for CTS. Data on instruments used, methods of assessment and results of tests of motor function was extracted by two independent reviewers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Twenty-two studies were retrieved which included performance based assessments of motor function. Nineteen studies assessed power grip dynamometry, fourteen studies used both power and pinch grip dynamometry, eight used manual muscle testing and five assessed the presence or absence of thenar atrophy. Several studies used multiple tests of motor function. Two studies included both power and pinch strength and reported descriptive statistics enabling calculation of effect sizes to compare the relative responsiveness of grip and pinch strength within study samples. The study findings suggest that tip pinch is more responsive than lateral pinch or power grip up to 12 weeks following surgery for CTS.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although used most frequently and known to be reliable, power and key pinch dynamometry are not the most valid or responsive tools for assessing motor outcome up to 12 weeks following surgery for CTS. Tip pinch dynamometry more specifically targets the thenar musculature and appears to be more responsive. Manual muscle testing, which in theory is most specific to the thenar musculature, may be more sensitive if assessed using a hand held dynamometer – the Rotterdam Intrinsic Handheld Myometer. However further research is needed to evaluate its reliability and responsiveness and establish the most efficient and psychometrically robust method of evaluating motor function following surgery for CTS.</p

Forearm EMG During Rock Climbing Differs from EMG During Handgrip Dynamometry

Grip force, as measured via handgrip dynamometry, is often given importance in the study of rock climbing performance. Whether handgrip dynamometry produces a degree of muscle activation comparable to actual climbing has not been reported. Furthermore, the degree and variability of muscle activation for various configurations during climbing are unknown. The purpose of this study was to record forearm EMG responses for six hand configurations during climbing and to compare these responses to a maximum handgrip test. Five experienced climbers signed informed consent to participate in the study. Subjects performed four moves up (UP) and down (DN) on an overhanging 45-deg. climbing wall with each of six hand configurations: crimp (C), pinch (P), three 2-finger combinations (2F1, 2F2, 2F3) and an open-hand grip (O). Forearm EMG was recorded via surface electrodes. Data were recorded for the second UP and second DN moves. Prior to climbing, maximum handgrip force (HG) and simultaneous EMG were obtained. Mean HG force was 526.6±33.3 N. Times to complete the climbing movements with each hand configuration varied between 3.1±0.5 and 4.8±0.9 sec, however no significant differences were found. All peak EMG’s during climbing were higher than HG EMG (p\u3c.05). Mean EMG amplitudes for UP, expressed as percentages of HG EMG, were 198±55, 169±22, 222±72, 181±39, 126±32, and 143±47% for C, P, 2F1, 2F2, 2F3, and O respectively. Significant differences were found for O versus 2F1 and for 2F3 versus 2F1 and C (p\u3c.05). All EMG amplitudes were lower for DN than UP (p\u3c.05). Since all climbing EMGs exceeded HG EMG, it was concluded that handgrip dynamometry lacks specificity to actual rock climbing

Effect of passive finger exercises on grip strength and the ability to perform activities of daily living for older people with dementia: a 12-week randomized controlled trial

Background: Dementia adds burden to society. As it is not curable, physical exercise activities are optimal to improve the physical strength and quality-of-life of people with dementia. Aim: Design, implementation, and examination of a set of passive finger exercises and their effects on improving grip strength and activities of daily living (ADL) for older people with dementia. Methods: Forty older people with dementia were recruited and randomly allocated into an experimental group and a control group, each with 20 people. The control group received routine nursing care. In addition to this, the experimental group received 25-minutes of passive finger exercises every day for 12 weeks. The health outcomes measured were grip strength and ADL, before and after the intervention. Grip strength was assessed by electrical hand muscle dynamometer. ADL were assessed with Barthel index. Results: Although there was no effect on grip strength, passive finger exercises led to significant improvements in urinary control, defecation function, and overall ADL in comparison with the control group. Implications for practice: Passive finger exercises can be integrated into physical exercise programs for older people with dementia to improve their urinary control, defecation function, and ADL

A study to investigate the effectiveness of using a lightweight plastic ball in teaching the overhead volley in volleyball

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of lightweight plastic balls on teaching the overhead volley in volleyball. An additional purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between the following: (a) grip strength and finger strength, (b) grip strength and volley ability, and (c) finger strength and volley ability. For this study one class consisted of beginning volleyball players divided into two groups. There were nineteen subjects in the experimental group, while the control group had eighteen subjects. The experimental group used lightweight plastic balls and the control group used regulation volleyballs. The only skill measured for this study was the overhead volley. The experimental period lasted four days. There was a slight degree of relationship found between the wall volley and grip strength. There was a moderate degree of relationship between finger strength and grip strength and between finger strength and the wall volley. There was a significant difference between pre- and posttests on wall volley in the group using regulation volleyballs. There was no change for the group using the lightweight plastic balls. There was no difference between the groups in grip strength after the experimental period. There was no difference in the scores between the groups on the wall volley test

Use of commercial gaming console WII for rehabilitation of hand impairments in young adults with Cerebral Palsy

Abstract The purpose of this study examined the feasibility of using a low-cost, commercially available gaming platform, the Wii® on improving the hand dexterity impairments in young adults with cerebral palsy. The study included 5 young adults with spastic cerebral palsy with a score of 1-3 on the GMFCS scale and a score of 1-2 on the MACS scale. The participants underwent an 8-week training intervention using the Wii™ for approximately 30 min/day 2 times a week. Training was performed using the Wii™ sports games software, including boxing, tennis, bowling, and archery. Three outcomes measures for hand impairments were used and tested during the study: such as the Hand dynamometer for the grip strength, Purdue peg board for the fine finger dexterity and the Box and Block test for the manual gross dexterity pre-and post- intervention as well as the family-reported activities of daily living before and after the interventions. A student’s t-test was used to analyse the pre- and the post-test results. The feasibility of using the virtual reality (Wii™) in the rehabilitation settings for young adults with CP showed positive outcomes in improving their hand impairments and manual ability. Additional hypotheses were proposed from the study for additional research

The assessment of the rheumatoid hand : "the assessment of the function of the hand undergoing corrective surgery for rheumatoid disease using specially designed biomechanical instruments and the Colour Television Image Analyser"

Present methods of assessing the function of the hand are reviewed and found to be inadequate. Two new concepts are introduced; the concept of assessing the function of the hand at the digital level, and the concept that hand function and bone density are closely related in both the hypodynamic state of disuse and the hyperdynamic state of improved function following corrective surgery.To investigate hands in this manner, the design and use of two biomechanical instruments, the 'Cybernometer' and the 'Torquemeter', invented by the author, are described. The use of Colour Television Image Analysis as a new method of measuring bone density, developed by the author, is also described.With this equipment a biomechanical study has been performed on normal hands and a positive relationship has been shown between function and bone density in both normal and rheumatoid hands.A statistical analysis has been performed on 51 rheumatoid patients before and after a variety of types of corrective hand surgery in terms of function and bone density. Not only is disuse osteoporosis accompanied by a reduction in hand function but also by surgically improving function osteoporosis in the rheumatoid hand is reversed