Purpose
The purpose of this study was to determine the test–retest reliability and precision
of Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer (RIHM) in healthy adults.
Methods
Twenty-nine participants originally recruited via convenience sampling at a Midwestern
state fair returned approximately 8 days later for retest. An average of three trials
for each of the five intrinsic hand strength measurements were collected using the
same technique that was used during initial testing. Test–retest reliability was assessed
using the intraclass correlation coefficient or ICC(2,3) and precision was evaluated using the standard error of measurement (SEM), and the
minimal detectable change (MDC90)/MDC%.
Results
Across all measures of intrinsic strength, the RIHM and its standardized procedures
had excellent test–retest reliability. Index finger metacarpophalangeal flexion demonstrated
the lowest reliability, and right small finger abduction, left thumb carpometacarpal
abduction, and index finger metacarpophalangeal abduction tests had the highest reliability.
Precision, as evidenced by SEM and MDC values, was excellent for tests of left index
and bilateral small finger abduction strength and acceptable for all other measurements.
Conclusions
Test–retest reliability and precision of RIHM across all measurements was excellent.
Clinical Relevance
These findings indicate that RIHM is a reliable and precise tool in measuring intrinsic
strength of hands of healthy adults, although further research is needed in clinical
populations.
Key words
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Hand SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Assessing weakness in patients with ulnar neuropathy: comparison between a custom hand muscle dynamometer and a pinch dynamometer.Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2011; 90: 923-929https://doi.org/10.1097/PHM.0b013e31822415b6
- Refinement of myotome values in the upper limb: evidence from brachial plexus injuries.Surgeon. 2017; 15: 1-6https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surge.2015.08.004
- Correction of the claw hand.Hand Clin. 2012; 28: 53-66https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hcl.2011.09.009
- Chingleput Detour.in: Brand P.W. The Gift of Pain: Why We Hurt and What We Can Do About It. Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI1993: 87-102
- Hand weakness in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease 1X.Neuromuscul Disord. 2012; 22: 622-626https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nmd.2012.02.008
- Electrical impedance myography changes after incomplete cervical spinal cord injury: an examination of hand muscles.Clin Neurophysiol. 2017; 128: 2242-2247https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2017.08.027
- Ultrasound of thumb muscles and grasp strength in early thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis.J Hand Surg Am. 2022; 47: 898-e1
- The contribution of the intrinsic muscles to grip and pinch strength.J Hand Surg Am. 1999; 24: 64-72https://doi.org/10.1053/jhsu.1999.jhsu24a0064
- Strength measurements of the intrinsic hand muscles: a review of the development and evaluation of the Rotterdam intrinsic hand myometer.J Hand Ther. 2006; 19: 393-401https://doi.org/10.1197/j.jht.2006.07.024
- Upper limb strength: study providing normative data for a clinical handheld dynamometer.PM&R. 2015; 7: 135-140https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmrj.2014.09.007
- Age- and gender-stratified adult myometric reference values of isometric intrinsic hand strength.J Hand Ther. 2020; 33: 402-410.e2https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2019.03.005
- Reference values of intrinsic muscle strength of the hand of adolescents and young adults.J Hand Ther. 2018; 31: 348-356https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2017.05.012
- Measuring intrinsic hand strength in healthy adults: the accuracy, intra-rater, and inter-rater reliability of the Rotterdam intrinsic Hand Myometer.J Hand Ther. 2018; 31: 530-537https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2017.03.002
- Reliability of hand strength measurements using the Rotterdam intrinsic Hand Myometer in children.J Hand Surg Am. 2008; 33: 1796-1801https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2008.07.018
- Measuring the strength of the intrinsic muscles of the hand in patients with ulnar and median nerve injuries: reliability of the Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer (RIHM).J Hand Surg Am. 2004; 29: 318-324https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2003.10.024
- The 2019 practice analysis of hand therapy and the use of orthoses by certified hand therapists.J Hand Ther. 2021; (S0894-1130(21)00055-7)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2021.04.008
- Early recovery after endoscopic vs. short-incision open carpal tunnel release.Ann Plast Surg. 2000; 44: 601-604https://doi.org/10.1097/00000637-200044060-00004
- Single-portal endoscopic carpal tunnel release compared with open release: a prospective, randomized trial.J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2002; 84: 1107-1115https://doi.org/10.2106/00004623-200207000-00003
- Endoscopic versus open carpal tunnel release: a randomized trial.J Hand Surg Am. 2003; 28: 475-480https://doi.org/10.1053/jhsu.2003.50080
- A pilot study comparing two manual therapy interventions for carpal tunnel syndrome.J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2007; 30: 50-61https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmpt.2006.11.014
- Test-retest reliability of tip, key, and palmar pinch force sense in healthy adults.BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020; 21: 189https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-020-3187-7
- Inter- and intra-tester reliability of sensibility testing in healthy individuals.J Plast Surg Hand Surg. 2018; 52: 189-192https://doi.org/10.1080/2000656X.2017.1415913
- User’s Manual RIHM (Version 1.3). St. Annaland: Last Mile Solutions. 2005.
- Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions.3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2003
- Test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change of the test of visual perceptual skills-third edition in patients with stroke.Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2016; 97: 1917-1923https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2016.04.023
- The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies.Int J Surg. 2014; 12: 1495-1499https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijsu.2014.07.013
- Sample size and optimal designs for reliability studies.Stat Med. 1998; 17: 101-110https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1097-0258(19980115)17:1<101::aid-sim727>3.0.co;2-e
- Manual muscle testing and hand-held dynamometry in people with inflammatory myopathy: an intra- and interrater reliability and validity study.PLOS ONE. 2018; 13e0194531https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194531
- New device for intrinsic hand muscle strength measurement: an alternative to strain gauge handheld dynamometer.Eval Health Prof. 2019; 42: 103-113https://doi.org/10.1177/0163278717727568
- A device for testing the intrinsic muscles of the hand.J Hand Ther. 2007; 20: 345-350https://doi.org/10.1197/j.jht.2007.05.002
- Foundations of Clinical Research.3rd ed. Pearson Health Science, 2009
- Rotterdam Intrinsic Hand Myometer.http://med-engineers.com/index.php/project/rihm/?lang=enDate accessed: October 27, 2022
Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 10, 2023
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofFootnotes
Received for publication XXX XX, 202X; accepted in revised form XXX XX, 2023.
No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly to this article.
Identification
Copyright
© 2023 by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved.
