Effect of an Arm-Span-Adjusted Hand Position on Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test Performance and...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Human Performance

Background:

• The Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST) is a standard assessment for upper-extremity function.
• The fixed 36-inch hand placement may introduce bias favoring individuals with larger body dimensions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of an arm-span-adjusted hand position on CKCUEST performance.
• To determine if this modified position offers a fairer assessment across diverse body types.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-five healthy adults completed the CKCUEST using both standard and modified (50% arm span) hand placements.
• Key performance metrics including mean touches, standard score, and power score were recorded.
• Reliability, and the influence of sex and body composition were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Significantly improved performance was observed in the modified position for mean touches, standard score, and power (p=0.001 for all).
• Both test conditions demonstrated excellent reliability (ICC = 0.944-0.946).
• Sex-based performance differences diminished in the modified position, and anthropometric variables predicted performance.

Conclusions:

• An arm-span-adjusted hand position enhances CKCUEST performance.
• This modification promotes a more equitable and potentially more valid assessment of upper-extremity stability across individuals with varying body dimensions.