Hand-held dynamometry: reliability of lower extremity muscle testing in healthy, physically active,young adults.

CONTEXT Hand-held dynamometry (HHD) has been shown to be a reliable, objective way to obtain strength measurements in elderly and physically impaired subjects. OBJECTIVE To estimate the intratester, intertester, and intersession reliability of HHD testing of lower extremity movements in young, healthy subjects. DESIGN Repeated measures. SETTING Sports medicine laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Nine males and eleven females (Mean age = 26 years). MEASUREMENTS Strength measures of 11 right lower extremity movements were taken by 3 different testers on 2 separate days using a HHD. RESULTS Intratester ICC range was .77 to .97 with SEM range of .01 to .44 kg. Mean intertester ICC range was .65 to .87 with SEM range of .11 to 1.05 kg. Mean intersession ICC range was .62 to .92 with SEM range of .01 to .83 kg. CONCLUSIONS HHD has the potential to be a reliable tool for strength measurements in healthy, strong subjects; however, there are noteworthy limitations with movements where subjects can overpower the testers.