BACKGROUND Clinical features of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) include slowly progressive distal muscle weakness, atrophy and sensory loss. Upper-limb involvement results in reduced manual dexterity interfering with the execution of daily activities. OBJECTIVE To identify which hand function impairments are determinants of manual dexterity in CMT1A. METHODS In a cross-sectional...

This study investigated how the posture of the thumb while performing common pinch movements and the levels of pinch force applied by the thumb affect the arthrokinematics of the trapeziometacarpal joint in vivo. Fifteen subjects performed the pinch tasks at the distal phalange (DP), proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, and metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint of the index finger with 0%, 50%, and 8...

One of the factors associated with the high prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, among dental practitioners is the repeated high pinch force applied during periodontal scaling. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between the pinch force applied during periodontal scaling and the forces generated at the tip of the tool. A l...

INTRODUCTION Patients with hand disorders frequently experience difficulties opening peelable packaging. PURPOSE To investigate the forces patients can apply to tear tabs and to compare the results with normative data to make recommendations for the industry and clinical practice. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive, cross-sectional. METHODS One hundred patients with hand disorders were studied. The...

BACKGROUND The prevalence of upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders, such as tendinitis, is elevated among dental practitioners. An important risk factor for these disorders is forceful pinching; however, the pinch forces and instrument forces during scaling are unknown. METHODS Six dentists and six senior-year dental students were recruited to use an instrumented periodontal scaler to per...

To extend the investigation of tail-pinch induced behavioral changes, rats performing on a differential reinforcement of low rates of 10 sec (DRL10), a fixed-interval of 60 sec (F160), and a fixed-ratio of 20 (FR20) schedules were exposed to a paper clip applied to the tail. While a 10 min tail-pinch conducted 1 hr before operant sessions significantly altered the DRL10 behavior, this stressor ...

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the impact of age and gender on 4 measures of grip and pinch force of well elderly community dwellers and to provide normative values. The hypotheses were that age and gender affect pinch and grip force and that these 2 factors might interact. Hand strength of 224 seniors 65-92 years old was tested. Grip and pinch force decreased in successively older ...

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in task performance, grip and pinch strength, and dexterity with and without cock-up splints, which are widely used in occupational therapy practice. [Methods] Twenty-three participants performed Jebsen-Taylor hand function test and grooved pegboard for task performance and dexterity. The power grip and pinch strength was mea...

The purpose of this study was to establish normative data for 6- to 19-year-olds on four tests of hand strength. The Jamar dynamometer was used to measure grip strength and a pinch gauge was used to measure tip, key, and palmar pinch. A sample of 231 males and 240 females from the seven-county Milwaukee area was tested, using standardized positioning and instructions. Results of this study indi...