Evaluating Handgrip Strength Assessment Protocol in the Preoperative Setting for Patients Undergoing Pancreatectomies

Preoperative handgrip strength (HGS) is a noninvasive estimate of muscle strength, and reduced HGS is associated with increased frailty and postoperative complications. However, best practices for preoperative HGS collection remain underexplored among patients undergoing pancreatic resection. This study aims to standardize the measurement of HGS by trial number, hand dominance, and intravenous (IV) catheter presence among patients undergoing pancreatic resections.

We evaluated patients undergoing pancreatic resections from August 2023 to July 2024 at a tertiary care center. HGS was measured preoperatively using a Jamar hand dynamometer, with three measurements per hand. Three-way ANOVA was performed to compare HGS between trials, presence of IV catheter, and hand dominance.

Analysis included 105 patients, with a mean HGS of 30.2 kg (±11.11 kg) and 27.7 kg (±9.5 kg) for dominant and nondominant hands, respectively. The difference in HGS between dominant and nondominant hands was 3.9 kg with IV and 1.9 kg without IV (P < 0.01 for both). There was no significant difference in HGS between trials by hand dominance (P > 0.05). The effect of IV placement and handedness collectively on HGS was significant (P = 0.02), with greater effects in dominant compared to nondominant hands.

HGS was significantly associated with dominant handedness and IV presence, but not number of trials. Understanding these relationships may help standardize HGS assessment protocol in this population and guide future research investigating associations between HGS and postpancreatectomy complications.