A Description of Grip and Pinch Strength in Children Aged 6 to 11 Years Using the Martin Vigorimeter

Abstract

The vigorimeter is potentially a useful instrument for measuring grip and pinch strength in children. However, no normative or comparative data are supplied by the manufacturer, and only two previous studies using it to test children's hand strength could be found in the literature. The purpose of this study was to collect preliminary hand strength data in children aged 6 to 11 years. Spherical grip, tip pinch and tripod pinch strength were measured in 134 children. Graphs displaying the results suggest that, on average, strength increases with age, boys are stronger than girls, and the right hand is often (but not always) stronger than the left. While far from producing norms, this study did demonstrate that the vigorimeter has utility as an instrument for measuring grip and pinch strength in children, and provided some preliminary baseline data to assist clinicians in judging the results of hand strength tests.

Le vigorimètre peut être un instrument utile pour mesurer la force de préhension grossière et la force de préhension fine chez les enfants. Cependant, le fabricant ne fournit pas de données normatives ou comparatives et on ne trouve dans la littérature que deux études dans lesquelles l'instrument a été utilisé pour évaluer la force de prehension des enfants. Le but de cette étude était de recueillir des données préliminaires sur la force de préhension des enfants âgés de 6 à 11 ans. La force de la prise palmaire sphérique, des prises digitales et des prises tridigitales a été mesurée chez 134 enfants. Les résultats présentés dans les graphiques suggèrent qu'en général la force augmente avec l'âge, les garçons sont plus forts que les filles et la main droite est souvent (mais ce n'est pas toujours le cas) plus forte que la gauche. Loin de produire des normes, cette étude a toutefois démontré que le vigorimètre est un instrument utile pour mesurer la force de préhension grossière et la force de préhension fine chez les enfants. L'étude fournit également quelques données de base préliminaires qui aideront les cliniciens à apprécier les résultats des tests sur la force de préhension.

Keywords

Grip strength Pediatrics Pinch strength testing

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