Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

• Hamid Azadeh ¹
• Navid Taheri ²
• Maryam Hassan Zahraee ³
• Elham Soheilipour ⁴

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

² MSc Student in Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

³ MSc Student of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

⁴ MSc Student of Physical Therapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Human hand is a complex and fine structure whose function and strength can be affected by even a mild injury. Hand dynamometry is one of the most accepted methods for evaluating the integrity of hand function. Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) is a noninvasive procedure to ensure neuromuscular integrity of the hand.Materials and Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 39 women with an age ranging from 30 to 60 years who attended the Vahid Electrodiagnostic Center (Isfahan-Iran) during the fall of 2009 were studied. Informed consent was signed by all subjects. All participants were asked to perform grip and all types of pinch grip with a dynamometer. Nerve conduction velocity was conducted for both hands. All data obtained from the dynamometer and NCV were statistically analyzed via Pearson correlation test using SPSS software version16.Results: There were significant differences between sensory and motor NCV of median nerve for Pinch strength (maximum correlation was noted for Motor NCV with Palmar Pinch1, P < 0.001, r = 0.379) versus Grip strength (maximum correlation was with Motor NCV, P < 0.002, r = 0.342). There were significant differences between Median Severity Scale for different types of Pinch strength (max correlation with Palmar Pinch1, P < 0.001, r = -0.613), different types of Grip strength (P < 0.001, r = -0.563) and NCV (max correlation with Sensory NCV, P < 0.001, r = -0.562)Conclusion: Dynamometer may be a prognostic tool to determine the amount of median nerve involvement since it measures the strength of thenar musculature. Also Median Severity Scale is a good clinical means to prognosticate median sensory and motor NCV.Keywords: Pinch strength, Grip strength, Nerve conduction velocity, Dynamometer