Isometric Muscle Strength Measurement E-Book

Thomas Stoll

• Herausgeber: Thieme
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 52

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2002

Beschreibung

- Precise quantification of muscle strength using a simple hand-held pull gauge - Measuring outcomes is easy, quick, and economical -- a most timely method in this age of managed care - Physical and occupational therapists will value the complete range of normal muscle-strength values (in the form of percentile curves)

Leseprobe

Isometric Muscle Strength Measurement

Thomas Stoll, M.D.

Director, Consultant in Rheumatology, Physical Medicine, and Rehabilitation aarReha Schinznach Schinznach-Bad, Switzerland

Erika Huber

Head PhysiotherapistInsititute of Physical MedicineUniversity Hospital ZürichZürich, Switzerland

Gerold Stucki, M.D., M.Sc.

Professor and DirectorDepartment of Physical and Rehabilitation MedicineUniversity HospitalMunich, Germany

Burkhardt Seifert, Ph.D.

Senior Research AssociateDepartment of BiostatisticsInstitute for Social and Preventative MedicineUniversity of ZürichZürich, Switzerland

Beat A. Michel, M.D.

Professor of RheumatologyDirector, Clinic for RheumatologyClinic and Insitute of Physical MedicineUniversity Hospital ZürichZürich, Switzerland

34 illustrations

ThiemeStuttgart • New York

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the publisher

Cover drawing by Cyclus, Stuttgart

© 2002 Georg Thieme Verlag,

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ISBN 3-13-127851-X (GTV)

ISBN 1-58890-113-0 (TNY)

ISBN (ePub) 978-3-13162-741-4

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Contents

1

Introduction

Maximal Isometric Muscle Strength

Maximal Isokinetic Muscle Strength

Functional Assessments

Measuring Maximal Isometric Muscle Strength Using a Hand-Held Pull Gauge

2

Measuring Maximal Isometric Muscle Strength Using a Hand-Held Pull Gauge: Description of the Method

Equipment

Method

3

Metric Properties of Measuring Maximal Isometric Muscle Strength Using a Hand-Held Pull Gauge

Reliability

Validity

Sensitivity to change

4

Age-Dependent, Gender-Specific Normative Values

Units of Measure

Muscle Strength Index

Gender-Specific, Age-Dependent Median Maximal Isometric Muscle Strength

Gender-Specific, Age-Dependent Percentile Curves of Maximal Isometric Muscle Strength

5

Application of the Method in Clinical Practice and Research

Indications for Measuring Maximal Muscle Strength Using a Hand-Held Pull Gauge

Interpretation of Results

Examples

Appendix Constructing Age-Dependent Percentiles

References

Index

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our families, friends, and everyone else for their help and support during the studies leading to this book.

We also are very grateful to the IBSA Institut Biochimique SA and Roche Pharma Switzerland AG for their financial support.

1   Introduction

Measuring muscle strength is an important element of both diagnosis and follow-up. Assessing strength enables the practitioner to obtain information about a spontaneous disease course, treatment intervention in a patient, or a training effect in healthy subjects. Usually a measured strength value refers to a functional muscle group, for instance the flexors of the right knee. In contrast, it is practically impossible to determine the strength of a single muscle, such as that of the right m. Semimembranosus. There is a broad spectrum of different types of “muscle strength.”

Maximal Isometric Muscle Strength

The person to be assessed produces maximal strength against resistance. By definition (isometric) no movement is allowed when the maximum strength plateau is reached. Maximal isometric muscle strength is a torque, i. e., the product of a force value multiplied by a lever, and is thus expressed in Nm (Newton meters). In cases where the lever is constant, for instance in follow-up measurements of the same adult patient, the lever does not necessarily have to be determined. In such situations, reductionists give the maximal isometric muscle strength only in N (Newtons) and not in Nm. Maximal isometric muscle strength has to be measured in a predefined position for several reasons. Most importantly, strength values depend on the length of the functional muscle group to be tested. For instance, the value of the left elbow flexors assessed at 90° flexion is higher than the value at 140° flexion.

Maximal Isokinetic Muscle Strength