Reliability, minimal detectable change and measurement errors in knee extension muscle strength measurement using a hand-held dynamometer in young children.
Koji Shigeshima, Hiroshi Yamasaki, Kunihiro Katayama
PMID 36118657WHAT IT FOUND
Knee extension strength in healthy 3-6 year-olds can be reliably measured with a hand-held dynamometer.
A change greater than 4.4 kgf indicates true muscle strength change, distinguishing it from measurement error.
Key findings
01The minimal detectable change (MDC) for knee extension strength in this age group is 4.4 kgf.
02The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between two sessions was 0.765, indicating good relative reliability.
03No significant systematic errors (fixed or proportional bias) were found between the two measurement sessions.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy children, so results may not apply to children with physical or cognitive impairments. Only two sessions were conducted, and the number of measurements per session was limited to two attempts. The sample size for each specific age group (3, 4, 5, 6 years) was small, preventing age-specific reliability estimates. Inter-rater reliability was not assessed; only intra-rater reliability (same examiner) was tested. Trunk stabilization was not externally secured with straps, which could have influenced some measurements.
Declared interests
The work was supported by the charitable trust 'Fund of Life (Inochi)'—The Kochi Shimbun and Kochi Broadcasting. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this MDC applies to children with disabilities or to other muscle groups. The value of 4.4 kgf is specific to healthy 3-6 year-olds and knee extension strength measured by a single examiner.