Handheld Dynamometer for Hamstring Strength Test Using Two Different Hand Placements/Methods: An Interrater...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics and Kinesiology
• Musculoskeletal Assessment
• Physical Therapy Research

Background:

• Handheld dynamometers offer reliable muscle strength measurement.
• Manual muscle testing utilizes proximal stabilization and fulcrum methods, with unclear superiority for strength assessment.
• Investigating optimal techniques for accurate muscle strength evaluation is crucial in physical therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare hamstring strength measurements between proximal stabilization and fulcrum methods using a handheld dynamometer.
• To determine the interrater reliability of Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students employing these two manual muscle testing techniques.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive-comparative study utilized a digital handheld dynamometer (Microfet 2 MMT-Wireless).
• Participants performed knee flexion in a prone position, with dynamometer placement on the lower leg for 5 seconds.
• Each testing method (proximal stabilization, fulcrum) was repeated three times, with averages calculated for analysis.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found between the proximal stabilization and fulcrum methods for hamstring strength (p > 0.05).
• Excellent interrater reliability was observed for both methods, with Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) of 0.742 and 0.752 respectively (p ≤ 0.001).
• DPT students demonstrated consistent strength measurements across repetitions and between raters for both techniques.

Conclusions:

• Both proximal stabilization and fulcrum methods are viable for assessing hamstring strength in healthy adults using handheld dynamometry.
• The study confirms good interrater reliability among DPT students for both manual muscle testing techniques.
• These findings support the use of either method for consistent muscle strength assessment in clinical and research settings.