Electromyographic Activity of the Upper Limb in Three Hand Function Tests.
Natália Sanches Silva, Pedro Henrique Tavares Queiroz de Almeida, Paulo Vinicius Braga Mendes and 3 others
PMID 30186068WHAT IT FOUND
The box and blocks test used more shoulder and upper arm muscles than the pegboard tests, which behaved alike.
The study measured healthy students, so it does not show what these differences mean for patients.
Key findings
01The box and blocks test produced higher activation of the trapezius, anterior and posterior deltoid, pectoralis major, and triceps than the nine-hole peg test and functional dexterity test.
02The nine-hole peg test and functional dexterity test did not differ in muscle activation.
03During the tests, female participants had higher activation in several muscles than male participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study used a small convenience sample of healthy university students, so the findings may not apply to patients with hand or upper limb injuries. It did not measure the small muscles inside the hand, which are important for fine finger movements. It compared muscle activity patterns only, so it did not show that one test predicts function or outcomes in patients. Female and male differences were observed, but the paper does not explain whether these differences matter clinically.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these muscle activity differences as evidence that one hand dexterity test is better for patients. The study only measured healthy university students performing tests, so it does not show how the tests perform in people with hand or upper limb problems.