An apparatus to assess function of the hand

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Hand Surgery

Background:

• Assessing hand function is crucial for evaluating treatment outcomes and understanding age-related changes.
• Rheumatoid arthritis significantly impacts hand mobility and strength, necessitating objective measurement tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an apparatus for measuring hand movement, strength, and manipulative ability.
• To establish normative data for hand function across different demographics.
• To assess the functional deficits in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Main Methods:

• Development of a specialized apparatus to quantify hand movement, grip strength, pinch strength, and manipulative dexterity.
• Recruitment of 80 women and 65 men (ages 17-70) to establish normative hand function values.
• Inclusion of 30 female patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis for comparative analysis.

Main Results:

• Minimal differences in hand motion were observed between sexes and age groups.
• Men exhibited 40% greater pinch strength and 100% greater grip strength than women.
• A noticeable decline in manipulative ability with increasing age was recorded.
• Rheumatoid arthritis patients showed severe reductions: 1/3 to 1/10 of normal strength and 1/2 of normal manipulative ability.

Conclusions:

• The developed apparatus provides a reliable system for evaluating hand function.
• Normative data highlights sex-based differences in strength and age-related decline in dexterity.
• The system effectively quantifies the severe functional compromise in rheumatoid arthritis, aiding in treatment evaluation.