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PeerJ 2023Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a prevalent entrapment neuropathy resulting in hand pain, numbness and/or weakness, which significantly impairs hand function in daily... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a prevalent entrapment neuropathy resulting in hand pain, numbness and/or weakness, which significantly impairs hand function in daily activities. Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) is a potential therapeutic option for focal peripheral nerve disease and may be beneficial for CTS treatment. We aimed to compare the effects of rPMS and conventional therapy in the management of CTS.
METHODS
A blinded assessor randomly assigned 24 participants with electrodiagnostically-confirmed mild or moderate CTS to either rPMS or conventional therapy. Both groups were briefed on disease progression and tendon-gliding exercises. In the intervention group, the rPMS protocol, five sessions of rPMS-with a frequency of 10 Hz, 10 pulses/train, and 100 trains/session-were performed over a period of 2 weeks, with three sessions in the first week and two sessions in the second week. At baseline and the end of the second week, the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, pinch strength, and electrodiagnostic results were evaluated.
RESULTS
The rPMS group demonstrated significantly greater within-group improvement in symptom severity scores (2.3 . 1.6, = 0.009) and pinch strength (10.6 lbs . 13.8 lbs, < 0.001). Regarding electrodiagnostic parameters, sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) amplitude was significantly increased (8.7 µV . 14.3 µV, = 0.002) within the group treated with rPMS. With conventional therapy, there were no statistically significant within-group differences. Multiple linear regression models showed that there were no significant differences in other outcomes in between-group comparisons.
CONCLUSIONS
Five sessions of rPMS resulted in significant reduction in symptom severity, improvement in pinch strength and increase in SNAP amplitude. Future research should investigate the clinical utility of rPMS using a larger sample and longer treatment and follow-up durations.
Topics: Humans; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Pilot Projects; Nerve Compression Syndromes; Exercise Therapy; Magnetic Phenomena
PubMed: 37220528
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15398 -
The Journal of Hand Surgery Feb 2023The Thumb Grasp and Pinch Assessment (T-GAP) is a new instrument for evaluating thumb use in children with congenital hypoplastic thumbs. The assessors video-record the...
PURPOSE
The Thumb Grasp and Pinch Assessment (T-GAP) is a new instrument for evaluating thumb use in children with congenital hypoplastic thumbs. The assessors video-record the children while they perform nine specific activities and score their grasp types using T-GAP. A high T-GAP score indicates more mature grasp patterns. The developers reported the instrument's validity and reliability for index finger pollicization. This study investigated T-GAP's validity and reliability in children with reconstructed hypoplastic thumbs.
METHODS
Four hand surgeons and two hand therapists from two hospitals rated video clips of 20 Manske type II and IIIa hands twice in 17 patients who performed the T-GAP at least 1 year after opposition transfer and thumb ligament reconstruction. To investigate the validity, we calculated correlation coefficients for T-GAP scores and clinical outcomes, including thumb ROM, grip and pinch strength, and visual analog assessments of thumb function and appearance. To estimate T-GAP's inter- and intrarater reliability, we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).
RESULTS
Thumb Grasp and Pinch Assessment score showed a strong linear correlation (r = 0.815-0.944) and a moderate to strong nonlinear correlation (ρ = 0.527-0.744) with visual analog scale assessments of thumb function and appearance, respectively; a moderate nonlinear correlation (ρ = 0.464) with grip strength; and a moderate nonlinear correlation (ρ = 0.541) with thumb MCP joint range of motion. The intraclass correlation coefficient for the interrater reliability was 0.892 (95% CI, 0.768-0.954) in round 1 and 0.898 (95% CI, 0.754-0.959) in round 2, and for intrarater reliability, the mean was 0.882 (95% CI, 0.785-0.980).
CONCLUSIONS
Thumb Grasp and Pinch Assessment score had a moderate to strong construct validity and a moderate concurrent validity. Both inter- and intrarater reliability was strong.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
This study supports the T-GAP instrument's validity and reliability for assessing functional outcomes in congenital hypoplastic thumb reconstruction.
PubMed: 36775792
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2022.12.017 -
Hand (New York, N.Y.) Jan 2020A radial incision with radial plate fixation for distal radius fracture has historically been avoided due to its risk to the superficial branch of the radial nerve...
A radial incision with radial plate fixation for distal radius fracture has historically been avoided due to its risk to the superficial branch of the radial nerve (SBRN). With careful technique, it is possible to avoid injury to the SBRN, thereby minimizing the soft tissue injury associated with other approaches. We compare subjective and objective functional outcomes of radial plate fixation surgeries that we performed with those of dorsal and volar plate fixation in current literature. Patients at a single center who underwent radial plate fixation for an AO type A or AO type B distal radius fracture between December 2006 and December 2014 were enrolled in the study. Postoperative grip strength and 3-digit pinch strength were measured systematically in the injured and uninjured wrists. Patients also completed a Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) questionnaire to assess subjective outcomes. Thirty-six patients met our inclusion criteria and had available medical records. Postoperative grip strength in the injured wrist was significantly lowered-68% compared with the uninjured wrist. After subgroup analysis of dominant and nondominant wrist injuries, there was no significant difference in grip strength between injured and uninjured wrists. There was no significant decrease in postoperative 3-digit pinch strength in the injured wrist-89% compared with the uninjured wrist. The mean QuickDASH score for our study participants was 20.9. Radial plate fixation is an effective approach for distal radius fractures. Objective and subjective outcomes are noninferior to those of a dorsal or volar approach.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Bone Plates; Female; Fracture Fixation, Internal; Hand Strength; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Period; Radius Fractures; Range of Motion, Articular; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome; Wrist Injuries; Wrist Joint; Young Adult
PubMed: 30003806
DOI: 10.1177/1558944718787290 -
BMJ Open Nov 2023To compare the efficacy of a traditional cock-up splint, which supports the wrist only, with a modified splint that supports the wrist and the metacarpophalangeal (MCP)... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVES
To compare the efficacy of a traditional cock-up splint, which supports the wrist only, with a modified splint that supports the wrist and the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints of the medial four digits in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
DESIGN
An assessor-blind randomised controlled trial.
SETTING
Hospital-based hand therapy clinics.
PARTICIPANTS
Fifty-nine adults with mild-to-moderate CTS were randomly assigned to wear a wrist splint (control group) or an MCP splint (intervention group) for 6 weeks.
OUTCOME MEASURES
The standardised outcome measures used included grip and pinch strength, the static two-point discrimination test, Phalen's manoeuvre test, Tinel's sign and the Boston CTS Questionnaire.
RESULTS
Both groups improved significantly from splint use in some clinical features. The wrist splint and the MCP splint groups had significant improvements in lateral pinch strength (p=0.032 and p=0.002, respectively), two-point discrimination of the thumb (p=0.003 and p=0.041, respectively), two-point discrimination of the index (p=0.035 and p=0.023, respectively) and the Phalen's manoeuvre symptoms (p=0.025 and p=0.002, respectively). The MCP splint group had additional improvements over the wrist splint group in tip pinch (p=0.012) and Palmar pinch (p=0.011) strength.
CONCLUSION
Splinting is a practical and effective intervention option for improving the symptoms of CTS. A wrist splint that incorporates the MCP joints is more effective than the traditional wrist-only splint, with long-lasting improvements that remained consistent after 6 months of the splint intervention. Using the more effective MCP splint may consequently reduce disability, facilitate return to work and lower the associated costs.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
ISRCTN13189602.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Wrist; Occupational Therapy; Hand Strength; Metacarpophalangeal Joint; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 38016794
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076961 -
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders Feb 2021The use of smartphones has become widely popular, especially among young people, for multiple purposes other than communication, including gaming and internet browsing.... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
The relationship between smartphone usage duration (using smartphone's ability to monitor screen time) with hand-grip and pinch-grip strength among young people: an observational study.
BACKGROUND
The use of smartphones has become widely popular, especially among young people, for multiple purposes other than communication, including gaming and internet browsing. The hand and wrist weakness is one of the main complications associated with the increased use of smartphones. This weakness occurs due to the repetitive flexion and extension of the wrist, thumb, and fingers, leading to a significant musculoskeletal pathology. Little is known about the relationship between smartphone usage duration (using the phones ability to monitor screen time) and hand-grip, pinch-grip strength. Therefore, the study was aimed to investigate the association between smartphone usage duration and hand-grip, pinch-grip strength among young people.
METHODS
One hundred young males volunteered to participate in the study. Participants were briefly examined for height and weight using a portable stadiometer and a digital scale. Hand-grip, pinch-grip strength measurement was performed using a hand-held dynamometer. Smartphones usage duration was obtained from the daily average screen time reported in the last seven days.
RESULTS
Mean daily usage of smartphone among the participants was 7.8 ± 2.2. There was a weak significant inverse relationship between smartphone usage duration and hand-grip strength (r=-.22, p = .03) and pinch-grip strength (r=-.28, p = .004). Linear regression revealed that 18.8 % of the variance in hand-grip strength and 20.4 % of the variance in pinch-grip strength was explained by age, and smartphone usage duration, with the addition of BMI only to hand-grip strength (p's < 0.00).
CONCLUSIONS
Prolonged use of smartphones was related to weaker hand-grip and pinch-grip. Despite the weak relationship, the study showed that smartphone usage duration might contribute as a factor along with age to hand muscles' strength.
Topics: Adolescent; Hand Strength; Humans; Male; Pinch Strength; Screen Time; Smartphone; Wrist Joint
PubMed: 33588812
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-021-04054-6 -
Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online Jul 2023The lacertus fibrosus or bicipital aponeurosis is a sheet of ligamentous tissue just distal to the elbow joint and can be a compression point for the median nerve....
PURPOSE
The lacertus fibrosus or bicipital aponeurosis is a sheet of ligamentous tissue just distal to the elbow joint and can be a compression point for the median nerve. Essentially, lacertus syndrome is a subset of pronator syndrome and an uncommon diagnosis by itself. Surgical release of the lacertus consists of a small 2-cm incision that can be performed under local anesthesia. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of lacertus release in resolving median nerve symptoms.
METHODS
This retrospective study was performed at Prince Court Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from January 2020 until June 2021. Ninety-three patients who presented with numbness of fingers, hand, or upper limb; forearm pain; and muscle weakness. They were diagnosed with lacertus syndrome on the basis of local tenderness at the lacertus fibrosus with either weakness of flexor pollicis longus and flexor digitorum profundus of the index finger or paresthesia over the thenar eminence. The patients underwent 3 months of hand therapy, and those with no symptom improvement were offered lacertus release performed by a single surgeon. The surgical technique consists of a surgical incision starting from a point 2 cm distally and 2 cm radially to the medial epicondyle. The incision projects 2 cm distally in an oblique fashion toward the radial styloid. A wideawake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) technqiue was utilized and 20 mL of local anesthesic was injected subcutaneously around this region at least 20 minutes before the surgery. Careful dissection was made subcutaneously, and the lacertus fibrosus was identified as a thickened, shiny white structure and released. The Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score, grip strength, and pinch strength were tested before and after surgery. At 6 months after surgery, the DASH score was again assessed with a WALANT satisfactory questionnaire.
RESULTS
A total of 93 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 38.7 years, and most were women (77.4%). The mean operating time was 70 minutes. The mean preoperative DASH score was 53, which significantly reduced immediately after surgery to 7.8 ( < .001) and remained low at 6 months after surgery (10.6). The mean grip strength showed a significant increase from a preoperative mean of 16 kg to a postoperative mean of 24 kg ( < .001). Pinch strength also significantly increased from a preoperative mean of 9 kg to 13 kg after surgery ( < .001).
CONCLUSIONS
Lacertus syndrome remains an underdiagnosed disease that can be treated efficiently with a directed minimal surgical incision under wide-awake local anesthesia. Lacertus release appears to significantly reduce pain and numbness with markedly improved hand grip and pinch strength. The corresponding DASH scores also improved significantly after surgery. This study is vital to our understanding of proximal median nerve entrapment and to accurately diagnose it.
TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Therapeutic III.
PubMed: 37521562
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2023.03.001 -
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and... Jun 2021Clinical trials in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) focus primarily on ambulant patients. Results cannot be extrapolated to later disease stages due to a decline in...
BACKGROUND
Clinical trials in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) focus primarily on ambulant patients. Results cannot be extrapolated to later disease stages due to a decline in targeted muscle tissue. In non-ambulant DMD patients, hand function is relatively preserved and crucial for daily-life activities. We used quantitative MRI (qMRI) to establish whether the thenar muscles could be valuable to monitor treatment effects in non-ambulant DMD patients.
METHODS
Seventeen non-ambulant DMD patients (range 10.2-24.1 years) and 13 healthy controls (range 9.5-25.4 years) underwent qMRI of the right hand at 3 T at baseline. Thenar fat fraction (FF), total volume (TV), and contractile volume (CV) were determined using 4-point Dixon, and T2 was determined using multiecho spin-echo. Clinical assessments at baseline (n = 17) and 12 months (n = 13) included pinch strength (kg), performance of the upper limb (PUL) 2.0, DMD upper limb patient reported outcome measure (PROM), and playing a video game for 10 min using a game controller. Group differences and correlations were assessed with non-parametric tests.
RESULTS
Total volume was lower in patients compared with healthy controls (6.9 cm , 5.3-9.0 cm vs. 13.0 cm , 7.6-15.8 cm , P = 0.010). CV was also lower in patients (6.3 cm , 4.6-8.3 cm vs. 11.9 cm , 6.9-14.6 cm , P = 0.010). FF was slightly elevated (9.7%, 7.3-11.4% vs. 7.7%, 6.6-8.4%, P = 0.043), while T2 was higher (31.5 ms, 30.0-32.6 ms vs. 28.1 ms, 27.8-29.4 ms, P < 0.001). Pinch strength and PUL decreased over 12 months (2.857 kg, 2.137-4.010 to 2.243 kg, 1.930-3.339 kg, and 29 points, 20-36 to 23 points, 17-30, both P < 0.001), while PROM did not (49 points, 36-57 to 44 points, 30-54, P = 0.041). All patients were able to play for 10 min at baseline or follow-up, but some did not comply with the study procedures regarding this endpoint. Pinch strength correlated with TV and CV in patients (rho = 0.72 and rho = 0.68) and controls (both rho = 0.89). PUL correlated with TV, CV, and T2 (rho = 0.57, rho = 0.51, and rho = -0.59).
CONCLUSIONS
Low thenar FF, increased T2 , correlation of muscle size with strength and function, and the decrease in strength and function over 1 year indicate that the thenar muscles are a valuable and quantifiable target for therapy in later stages of DMD. Further studies are needed to relate these data to the loss of a clinically meaningful milestone.
Topics: Hand; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Muscle Contraction; Muscle, Skeletal; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne
PubMed: 33963807
DOI: 10.1002/jcsm.12711 -
Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2021Static pinch strength against a therapist's gentle pull is evaluated using the pincer grasp component of the Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA) to assess pinch impairment after...
Static pinch strength against a therapist's gentle pull is evaluated using the pincer grasp component of the Fugl Meyer Assessment (FMA) to assess pinch impairment after stroke. In the pincer grasp component, therapists applied a gentle pull to distinguish between a score of 1 (moderate pinch impairment) and a score of 2 (no pinch impairment). The gentle pull is described as a resistance equivalent to a manual muscle test (MMT) score 4/5. The accepted use of "gentle" as a qualitative description for the pull results is a non-standardized subjective interpretation. The goal of this paper was to determine the quantitative value of the gentle pull applied by the therapists as in their clinical practice using a pinch-pull gripping system. The FMA protocol was used to standardize the body and fingers positions of three occupational therapists who were then instructed to apply a gentle pull of 4/5 MMT using their thumb and index fingers (in a tip-to-tip pinch). The results show that the therapists exerted a mean gentle pull (4/5 MMT score) of 6.34 ± 0.98 N with high reliability and acceptable repeatability. In investigating the ability of healthy subjects to resist the gentle pull, 50 adult male volunteers were instructed to pinch the pincer object and resist a dynamic loading exerted by the pinch-pull gripping system as much as possible to the moment the pincer object slips away. The results show that all subjects were able to exert a pulling force higher than the quantitative value of the gentle pull.
PubMed: 33540890
DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11020225 -
The Open Orthopaedics Journal May 2008Grip, Key Pinch (KP), 3 Point Pinch (3PP) and 2 Point Pinch (2PP) strengths were measured twice weekly in 32 women with primary osteoarthritis of the hand (POAH) and 25...
Grip, Key Pinch (KP), 3 Point Pinch (3PP) and 2 Point Pinch (2PP) strengths were measured twice weekly in 32 women with primary osteoarthritis of the hand (POAH) and 25 healthy women. Reproducibility was assessed by standard error of measurement (SEM) and the coefficient of variation (CV). Cutoff values for significant improvement or deterioration were determined and expressed, respectively, as either the smallest detectable difference (SDD) or critical difference (CD). The SDD and CD of grip and pinch strengths were higher in POAH patients than in the healthy group. Among the pinch tests the 2PP findings were least reproducible. The relatively high SDD and CD scores indicate that improvement may be detected only in patients with moderate to severe weakness of grip and pinch. Furthermore, in POAH patients, diagnosing strength changes using the 2PP test is invalid due to low reproducibility.
PubMed: 19478930
DOI: 10.2174/1874325000802010086 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2021In recent years, there has been a significant increase in global smartphone usage driven by different purposes. This study aimed to explore the effect of smartphone...
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in global smartphone usage driven by different purposes. This study aimed to explore the effect of smartphone usage on neck muscle (flexors and extensors) endurance, hand grip, and pinch strength among young, healthy college students. In total, 40 male students were recruited for this study; 20 of them belonged to the smartphone-addicted group, while the other 20 were in the non-addicted group based on their smartphone addiction scale-short version (SAS-SV) scores (the threshold for determining smartphone addiction: 31/60). Neck flexor endurance time, the ability to perform a neck extensor muscle endurance test, and hand and pinch grip strength were assessed. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to assess between-group differences in the mean values of neck flexor endurance time, hand grip, and pinch grip. A significant group effect (Wilks' lambda = 0.51, F = 6.34, = 0.001, partial eta squared = 0.48) was found. A decrease in neck flexor endurance time was observed in the smartphone-addicted group compared with that of the non-addicted group ( < 0.001). However, there was no notable difference in the neck extensor muscle endurance test or in hand grip and pinch grip strength of both hands between groups ( > 0.05). Using a smartphone for a prolonged time might affect neck flexor muscle endurance; however, more research is needed to explore the long-term effects of using smartphones on neck muscle endurance and hand/pinch grip strength and the risk of developing upper limb neuromusculoskeletal dysfunction.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Hand; Hand Strength; Humans; Male; Neck Muscles; Pinch Strength; Smartphone; Students
PubMed: 34200762
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126290