Article

Weakness of wrist muscles has a significant impact on upper limb function in
people with tetraplegia. A simple device has been designed to enable clinicians
to measure dynamic strength in the very weak muscles of people with tetraplegia.
The objective of this study was to test the interrater reliability of the device.
Twenty wrists of 12 people with tetraplegia and associated wrist extensor
weakness (grade 2-4) were included in the study. The strength of the wrist
extensor muscles was measured by blinded assessors on two separate occasions 1-3
days apart. Measurements were conducted in a device that ensured the resistive
torque was constant as the wrist moved through full range of motion. Intraclass
correlation coefficients and percent close agreement scores were used to measure
reliability. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.88 (95% CI 0.72-0.95).
Repeat measurements of wrist extensor torque were within 0.5 Nm 75% of the time
and 0.7 Nm 90% of the time. This device is a simple and reliable way of measuring
dynamic wrist extensor strength of people with tetraplegia. It is appropriate for
use in the clinical setting.

Langue : ANGLAIS