Impairment of grip function in rheumatoid arthritis--studies with a simple hand test.

A new, simple and quick method for assessment of impaired grip function was evaluated in a rheumatology department, 208 of 211 patients with definite rheumatoid arthritis were unable to do the test, 48 of these patients had regarded their hands as unaffected when questioned. The impairment of grip function was closely related to clinical and functional observations but not related to the most common laboratory tests. The study confirms the hypothesis that almost all patients with RA are unable to do the hand test, even those who consider their hand function as normal.