Intra- and inter-examiner reliability and minimal detectable change for different methods of measuring toe grip strength in healthy adults.
Ryuichi Arai, Masahiro Fuchigami, Kazuma Yamamoto and 2 others
PMID 35221511WHAT IT FOUND
Measuring toe grip with the bar over the first interphalangeal joint was more reliable than a comfortable grip.
In healthy adults, changes within 4.97 kg may be measurement error.
Key findings
01The first-interphalangeal-joint position gave better agreement between examiners than the comfortable-position method.
02For the first-interphalangeal-joint method, a change within 4.97 kg may be measurement error.
03In the comfortable-position method, one examiner's repeated scores were less consistent.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The participants were young healthy hospital staff volunteers (20 in each test), so the results may not apply to older adults or patients with foot or medical problems. Only two examiners were studied, and agreement varied between them, especially in the comfortable-position method. The study checked reliability and measurement error, not whether toe grip strength measurement is valid for treatment decisions. A consistent shift in scores was seen for one examiner in each method, and second measurements tended to be higher, which may be due to practice effects.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use the 4.97 kg change as a treatment-effect threshold for older adults or patients. It was calculated in healthy young adults, and the authors say it is difficult to apply the results to the elderly or patients with medical problems.