Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of Hand Function

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Hand Function

Abstract

The hand is extremely involved in our daily life because of its vital and sophisticated functional role. The hand function may be defined primarily as the capacity to use the hand in everyday activities depending on the anatomical integrity, sensation, coordination, strength, and dexterity. The accurate assessment of hand function is very important for establishing strategies to maximize functional potential and evaluating treatment and the progress of the disease. The ICIDH and ICF are two accepted models to make the description of the relationship between pathology and functional consequences of diseases. The pinch grip, full hand grip (grasp), nonprehension hand function, and bilateral prehension are four main items to classify and assess the grip. Daily activities are generally the combinations of these different types of grips. There are three main pinch function of hands such as tip pinch, tri-digit (chuck) pinch, and lateral (key) pinch. The dexterity (finger and manual) is the fundamental functional property of the hand. Speed and precision are the criteria used to measure this skill, and the tests require high-level hand-eye coordination as well as fine motor control of the hand. Impairment, disability, and handicap are complementary aspects of function, and we have to assess all three domains separately to have complete information about hand function in patients with hand involvement. Grasp and pinch strengths can be assessed with a dynamometer. There are several scales to assess the hand function. The DHI, MHQ, DASH, and AHFT are some of the most widely used scales in clinical practices. The primary concern of hand functional disability questionnaires is the patient’s perception of ability. There is no single assessment method that can be recommended for all clinics, and there is no gold standard to assess the hand function. The test should be valid for the purpose of the study. The simple tests are better than complex ones, and it is better to use hand function test concerning the purpose of the research and the clinical assessment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 79.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 99.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Liang MH. The historical and conceptual framework for functional assessment in rheumatic disease. J Rheumatol. 1987;14(suppl 51):2–5.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Duruöz MT, Poiraudeau S, Fermanian J, et al. Development and validation of a rheumatoid hand functional disability scale that assess functional handicap. J Rheumatol. 1996;23:1167–72.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Kimmerle M, Mainwaring L, Borenstein M. The functional repertoire of the hand and its application to assessment. Am J Occup Ther. 2003;57:489–98.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. McPhee SD. Functional hand evaluations: a review. Am J Occup Ther. 1987;41:158–63.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. World Health Organisation. International classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps. Geneva: WHO; 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Badley EM. An introduction to the concepts and classifications of the international classification of impairments, disabilities, and handicaps. Disabil Rehabil. 1993;15:161–78.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. World Health Organization. International classification of functioning, disability and health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Stamm T, Geyh S, Cieza A, et al. Measuring functioning in patients with hand osteoarthritis – content comparison of questionnaires based on the international classification of functioning, disability and health (ICF). Rheumatology. 2006;45:1534–154.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Warabi T, Noda H, Kato T. Effect of aging on sensorimotor functions of eye and hand movements. Exp Neurol. 1986;93:686–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Jones LA. The assessment of hand function: a critical review of techniques. J Hand Surg. 1989;14A:221–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Bohannon RW, Peolsson A, Massy-Westropp N, et al. Reference values for adult grip strength measured with a Jamar dynamometer: a descriptive meta-analysis. Physiotherapy. 2006;92:11–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Boatright JR, Kiebzak GM, O’Neil DM, Peindl RD. Measurement of thumb abduction strength: normative data and a comparison with grip and pinch strength. J Hand Surg Am. 1997;22:843–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Mathiowetz V, Wiemer DM, Federman SM. Grip and pinch strength: norms for 6 to 19 year olds. Am J Occup Ther. 1986;40:705–11.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Mathiowetz V, Kashman N, Volland G, et al. Grip and pinch strength: normative data for adults. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1985;66:69–74.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Hanten WP, Chen WY, Austin AA, et al. Maximum grip strength in normal subjects from 20 to 64 years of age. J Hand Ther. 1999;12(3):193–200.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Schmidt RT, Toews JV. Grip strength as measured by the Jamar dynamometer. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1970;51:321–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Björk M, Thyberg I, Haglund L, Skogh T. Hand function in women and men with early rheumtoid arthritis. A prospective study over three years (the Swedish TIRA Project). Scand J Rheumatol. 2006;35:15–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Massey-Westrop NM, Gill TK, Taylor AW, et al. Hand Grip Strength: age and gender stratified normative data in a population-based study. BMC Res Notes. 2011;4:127.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Pearson R, Mackinnon MJ, Meek AP, et al. Diurnal and sequential grip function in normal subjects and effects of temperature change and exercise of the forearm on grip function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and in normal controls. Scand J Rheumatol. 1982;11:113–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Petersen P, Petrick M, Connor H, Conklin D. Grip strength and hand dominance: challenging the 10% rule. Am J Occup Ther. 1989;43:444–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Fowler NK, Nicol AC. Functional and biomechanical assessment of the normal and rheumtoid hand. Clin Biomech. 2001;16:660–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Helliwell P, Howe A, Wright V. Functional assessment of the hand: reproducibility, acceptability, and utility of a new system for measuring strength. Ann Rheum Dis. 1987;46:203–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  23. Barbier O, Penta M, Thonnard JL. Outcome evaluation of the hand and wrist according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. Hand Clin. 2003;19:371–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Poirier F. Dexterity as a valid measure of hand function: a pilot study. Occup Ther Health Care. 1987;4:69–83.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Tiffin J, Asher EJ. The Purdue pegboard: norms and studies of reliability and validity. J Appl Psychol. 1948;32:234–47.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Lazarski JP, Ridding MC, Miles TS. Dexterity is not affected by fatigue-induced depression of human motor cortex excitability. Neurosci Lett. 2002;321:69–72.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Kellor M, Frost J, Silberberg N, et al. Hand strength and dexterity: norms for clinical use. Am J Occup Ther. 1971;25:77–83.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Chiu HY, Su FC, Wang ST, Hsu HY. The motion analysis system and goniometry of the finger joints. J Hand Surg Br. 1998;23:788–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Mohan A, Tharion G, Kumar RK, Devasahayam SR. An instrumented glove for monitoring hand function. Rev Sci Instrum. 2018;89:105001. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5038601.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Eberhardt KB, Svensson B, Moritz U. Functional assessment of early rheumatoid arthritis. Br J Rheum. 1988;27:364–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Reuter SE, Massy-Westropp N, Evans AM. Reliability and validity of indices of hand-grip strength and endurance. Aust Occup Ther J. 2011;58:82–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Chung KC, Pillsbury MS, Walters MR, et al. Reliability and validity testing of the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire. J Hand Surg [Am]. 1998;23:575–87.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Quick-DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand), Beaton D, Wright J, Katz J, the Upper Extremity Collaborative Group. Development of the QuickDASH: comparison of three-item reduction approaches. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2005;87:1038–46.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Beckman C, Mackie H, Harris J. Arthritis hand function test: development of a standardized assessment tool. Occup Ther J Res. 1991;11:245–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Bellamy N, Campbell J, Haraoui B, et al. Dimensionality and clinical importance of pain and disability in hand osteoarthritis: development of the Australian/Canadian (AUSCAN) Osteoarthritis Hand Index. Osteoarthr Cartil. 2002;10:855–62.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Penta M, Thonnard JL, Tesio L. ABILHAND: a Rasch-built measure of manual ability. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1998;79:1038–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. van Lankveld WGJM, Graff MJL, Van’t Pad Bosch PJI. The short version of the sequential occupational dexterity assessment based on individual tasks’ sensitivity to change. Arthritis Care Res. 1999;12:417–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Goodson A, McGregor AH, Douglas J, Taylor P. Direct, quantitative clinical assessment of hand function: usefulness and reproducibility. Man Ther. 2007;12:144–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Sanal-Top C, Karadag-Saygı E, Saçaklıdır R, Duruöz MT. Duruöz Hand Index: is it valid and reliable in children with unilateral cerebral palsy? Dev Neurorehabil. 2017;12:1–5.

    Google Scholar 

  40. de Castro MC, Cliquet Júnior A. An artificial grasping evaluation system for the paralysed hand. Med Biol Eng Comput. 2000;38(3):275–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Llinares A, Badesa FJ, Morales R, et al. Robotic assessment of the influence of age on upper-limb sensorimotor function. Clin Interv Aging. 2013;8:879–88.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  42. BardorferA MMM, Zupan A, Ceru B. Upper limb functional assessment using haptic interface. Zdrav Vestn. 2004;73:II-19–24.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rheumatology Division, Marmara University Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Tuncay Duruöz

Authors
  1. Mehmet Tuncay Duruöz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mehmet Tuncay Duruöz .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rheumatology Division, Marmara University Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mehmet Tuncay Duruöz

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Duruöz, M.T. (2019). Assessment of Hand Function. In: Duruöz, M. (eds) Hand Function. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17000-4_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17000-4_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-16999-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-17000-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation