A comparison between measured female linear arm strengths and estimates from the 3D Static Strength Prediction...

This study performed a direct comparison between empirically measured female linear arm strengths and those estimated with the 3D Static Strength Prediction Program (3DSSPP). Linear arm strengths were collected from 15 female participants, at four hand locations and six primary directions (n = 360), and then estimated with 3DSSPP incorporating each participant's own segment lengths, body masses and joint strengths, and the measured arm postures from each trial to optimize the accuracy of 3DSSPP. In spite of this, the errors in 3DSSPP's estimated arm strength values were very high (RMS error = 56.0 N and 40.4%) and poorly correlated (r² = 29.2%) with measured strengths. These results seriously question the accuracy of 3DSSPP to estimate female linear arm strengths and percent capable values, for the range of conditions tested, likely due to the overly simplified assumptions made to estimate triaxial shoulder strength.