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A Standardized Method for Measurement of Elbow Kinesthesia
Published on: October 10, 2020
A comparison of manual and quantitative elbow strength testing
Leili Shahgholi1, Keith A Bengtson, Allen T Bishop
1From the Orthopedic Biomechanics/Motion Analysis Laboratory, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
|August 3, 2012
Summary
Manual muscle testing (MMT) can overestimate elbow strength in patients with brachial plexus injuries. Even clinicians with expertise may misjudge normal strength, while lower grades appear accurate.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Clinical assessment of muscle strength is crucial for diagnosing and managing injuries.
- Manual muscle testing (MMT) is a common clinical tool, but its accuracy in specific populations is debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare clinical elbow strength ratings by experienced clinicians with objective quantitative strength measurements.
- To evaluate the reliability of MMT in patients with traumatic brachial plexus injuries.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study analyzed records of 110 patients (ages 8-65) with brachial plexus injuries.
- Patients' elbow flexion and extension strength were assessed using MMT (British Medical Research Council Scale) and quantitative testing.
Main Results:
- Half of subjects with clinically "normal" (5/5) elbow flexion strength showed <42% of age-expected strength quantitatively.
- Half of subjects with clinically "normal" (5/5) elbow extension strength showed <62% of age-expected strength quantitatively.
- MMT showed significant differences compared to quantitative findings only for lower strength grades (0-4/5).
Conclusions:
- Clinician MMT may overestimate elbow strength, particularly in patients graded as having normal (5/5) strength.
- MMT appears more reliable for assessing lesser strength grades (1-4/5) in this population.
