Isometric knee muscle strength measurement using a belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometer and an isokinetic dynamometer with and without trunk fixation: investigation of agreement of measurement values and factors influencing measurement.
Munenori Katoh, Yukinobu Hiiragi, Masahiro Hirano and 4 others
PMID 31871370WHAT IT FOUND
In healthy young adults, belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometer knee strength readings did not agree with chair-mounted isokinetic dynamometer readings, especially in men and during knee extension.
Do not use the values interchangeably.
Key findings
01Belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometer knee extension values averaged 33.9 Nm lower than conventional isokinetic dynamometer values overall, and 41.5 Nm lower in men.
02Belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometer knee flexion values averaged 13.4 Nm lower than conventional isokinetic dynamometer values overall, and 18.3 Nm lower in men.
03Modified isokinetic dynamometer knee extension values were lower than conventional isokinetic dynamometer values, with a fixed bias of 55.8 Nm on average.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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 included only 26 healthy young adults, 16 men and 10 women, so it does not show how the methods agree in patients with weakness, pain, spasticity, or poor sitting control. All measurements were on the dominant leg and were taken by four male physical therapists, so examiner and leg effects were not tested. The authors report agreement problems and say the measurement method needs modification, especially for men and higher-strength individuals.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometry is clinically useless. The study tested only 26 healthy young adults and compared measurement setups, so it does not show how the method performs in patients.