Pinch grip, power grip and wrist twisting strengths of healthy older adults

Knowledge of hand function capabilities of older adults is useful to hand therapists, designers of hand prostheses, and designers of food and medication packaging. Muscular strength decreases with age1,2 and a reduction in hand strength can affect the capacity to carry out activities of daily living (ADLs), thus influencing the quality of life. In addition to the natural ageing processes, various diseases compound problems in carrying out the ADLs. For example, rheumatic diseases may cause the hand to become deformed, making gripping difficult. Rantanen et al.3 conducted a 25-year prospective study involving healthy males aged between 45 to 68 years and observed that reduction in handgrip strength, during the study period, correlated significantly to functional limitations and disability. Giampaoli et al.4 followed 140 males aged between 71 and 91 years for four years and observed that the incidence of disability increased with decreasing grip strength. Disability was defined as needing help in performing various ADLs5 and instrumental ADLs6.