Scientific Researches in Health Sciences

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Effects of Pinch, Grip and Upper Extremity Muscle Strength on Fine Motor Skills

Abstract: Introduction Hand use capacity is influenced by many things such as age, gender, and coordination. Beside the importance of the understanding of these parameters’ effects on hand use capacity, other demographics with possible influence on hand function need to be addressed. The aim of this study is to find out how upper extremity muscle strength and grip and pinch strength influence these parameters.

Material and Method This study included 40 voluntary students (50 % of male, 50 % of female). Upper extremity muscle strength was evaluated by Jtech Commander Power Track 2 Muscle Testing Dynamometer. Jtech Hand Grip Dynamometer and Jtech Pinch Grip Dynamometer were used for the assessment of hand grip power and finger pinch grip power, respectively. Moreover, fine motor movements were assessed by Purdue Pegboard Battery.

Results A statistically significant gender difference related to grip & pinch strength and fine motor movement scores (p<0,05) was observed. Furthermore, it is founded that all parameters of the upper extremity such as grip strength, pinch strength and fine motor skills were related to each other. While grip strength and pinch strength had a positive correlation between themselves (p<0,05), they correlated negatively with fine motor movement (p> 0,05).

Conclusion & Discussion It is founded that all parameters of the upper extremity such as grip strength, pinch strength and fine motor skills were related to each other. While grip strength and pinch strength had a positive correlation, they correlated negatively with fine motor movement. We hope that this study will assist the physiotherapists who work related to hand and upper extremity and the future studies.

Keywords: Fine Motor Skills, Grip Strength, Muscle Strength, Pinch Strength

Introduction

Human hand is one of the most complex organs that is used for grasping and carrying things to explore or manipulate. Fine motor skills are essential for these activities (1, 2). They are defined as the actions requiring degrees of control and accuracy and are controlled by the smaller muscle (3).

Hand use capacity is influenced by many things such as age, gender, and coordination (4). For example, it is a well-known fact that males and females employ different movement strategies in manual tasks, males emphasize speed of performance, whereas females emphasize accuracy (5). In another study done by ←11 | 12→Rodríguez-Aranda et al. (6) in 2016, movement times and kinematics were evaluated to compare hand function between different age groups and it was found that movements of older adults are both slower and qualitatively different from those of younger adults.

Beside the importance of the understanding of these parameters’ effects on hand use capacity, other demographics with possible influence on hand function need to be addressed.

For example, literature says that pinch strength can be used to more accurately examine fine motor skills and task-specific grasping functions (7). However, the majority of the studies were done with children. Similarly, handgrip strength, a measure of maximum voluntary force of the hand, has been described as the simplest, valid, and reliable method in assessing muscle function, but there is a lack of study that shows the relationship between handgrip strength and hand use capacity (8).

The aim of this study is to find out how upper extremity muscle strength and grip and pinch strength influence on these parameters.

Material and Method

This study included 40 voluntary students (50 % of male, 50 % of female) studying in Yeditepe University between the period of February 2015–March 2015.

Inclusion criteria were being voluntary and being between 18 and 27 years old. Individuals who had a nerve damage or fracture in the upper extremity, who had undergone surgery on the elbow area, and who had a cognitive problem that could lead to failure to complete the tests were excluded from the study.