Department of Orthopaedic and Spinal Surgery, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45, Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan.
Center for Creative Technology, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11, Takeda, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan.
J Orthop Surg Res. 2020 Jul 6;15(1):245. doi: 10.1186/s13018-020-01773-9.
Grip strength measurement is widely used in daily medical practice, and it has been reported that the grip strength decreases in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, conventional grip dynamometers evaluate only the maximum power of total grip strength and cannot measure the time course of grip motion. In this report, we aimed to determine the grip characteristics of CTS patients by measuring the time course of each finger's grip motion and to analyze the relationship between finger grip strength and subjective symptoms using this new grip system.
The grip strength of each finger was measured using the new grip system that has four pressure sensors on the grip parts of each finger of the Smedley grip dynamometer. We analyzed the time course of grip motion and relationship between finger grip strength and subjective symptoms in 104 volunteer and 51 CTS hands. The Japanese Society for Surgery of the Hand version of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Instrument (CTSI-JSSH) and the Disability of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire (DASH) were used as subjective evaluation scores.
In the CTS group, the grip time with the index, middle, and ring fingers was longer, and the time at which strength was lost after reaching the maximum was earlier. Patients with severe subjective symptoms tended to not use the index and middle fingers during grip motion.
This new system that measures each finger's grip strength at one time and record the time course of grip motion could quantify a patient's symptoms easily and objectively, which may contribute to the evaluation of hand function.
握力测量在日常医疗实践中被广泛应用，有报道称腕管综合征（CTS）患者的握力下降。然而，传统的握力计仅评估总握力的最大力量，无法测量握力运动的时程。在本报告中，我们旨在通过测量每个手指的握力运动的时程来确定 CTS 患者的握力特征，并使用这种新的握力系统分析手指握力与主观症状之间的关系。
使用 Smedley 握力计的每个手指握力部分上有四个压力传感器的新型握力系统测量每个手指的握力。我们分析了 104 名志愿者和 51 名 CTS 患者的握力运动时程和手指握力与主观症状之间的关系。使用日本手外科学会腕管综合征量表（CTSI-JSSH）和手臂、肩部和手部残疾问卷（DASH）作为主观评估评分。
在 CTS 组中，食指、中指和无名指的握力时间较长，达到最大力量后失去力量的时间较早。主观症状严重的患者在握力运动中倾向于不使用食指和中指。
这种一次测量每个手指的握力并记录握力运动时程的新系统可以轻松、客观地量化患者的症状，可能有助于对手功能的评估。
