Instrumental Evaluation of the Muscle Strength of Abductor Pollicis Brevis and Abductor Digiti Minimum Muscles of Hand

Abstract

The strenth of the Abductor pollices brevis and Abductor digit minimum muscles may serve as a parameter to the evaluation of the median and ulnar nerve function, respectively. A device was developed for carrying out measurements of the strenth of those muscles in hands of different sizes with the same efficiency. The device was built entirely with easily obtained low cost materials. Once ready, the final prototype was used to measure the strength of the APB and AbDQ muscles in 42 volunteers, being 20 women and 22 men, whose inclusion criterion was the total absence of any pathology in the upper limbs. Three measurements were taken for each point of load application for both muscles, an average value being obtained for use in the statistical analysis. The results suggest the strength was consistently greater in men and in the right hand. As refers to the different points of load application, the strength was always greater as the proximal point, both for the thumb and the fifth finger. The overall evaluation of performance of the prototype showed that it is versatile, supplying reliable information for all size hands.