Biomechanical assessment of grasping postures in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis when holding adaptive silverware.
Max Jordon, David Levine, Jim Richards and 4 others
PMID 41808744WHAT IT FOUND
Built-up spoon handles reduced the finger bending needed to hold them.
In 35 adults with rheumatoid arthritis, larger handles meant less bending, especially in the middle joints of the fingers, and 29 chose the 1.50 inch handle.
Key findings
01Larger spoon handles reduced the finger joint movement needed to hold the spoon in most measured joints.
02For the second finger's far joint, average bending was 52.36 degrees with the standard handle, 44.73 degrees with the 1.00 inch handle, and 39.86 degrees with the 1.50 inch handle.
03Twenty-nine of the 35 participants chose the 1.50 inch handle for continued use, and palm width did not differ between those who chose different handles.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample of 35 adults from one rheumatology clinic, and rheumatoid arthritis severity or stage was not recorded. People who could not grasp a standard spoon were not included, so it does not describe people who cannot grasp a standard spoon. The thumb was not measured, and only static holding of a spoon was tested, not the full motion of eating or using forks, knives, or cutting. Pain, grip strength, and hand function outcomes were not measured, so the study does not show that larger handles improve comfort or independence. Participants knew which handle they were using, and the equipment is specialized, which limits simple clinic replication. Why participants chose a handle was not examined, and palm width did not explain the choice.
Declared interests
The authors declared that no financial support was received for this work or its publication.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reduced finger bending as proof that built-up spoons improve eating, pain, or function. The study measured static joint angles in 35 adults with rheumatoid arthritis who could already grasp a standard spoon, and it did not test eating independence, pain, fatigue, or other conditions.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →