Upper Limb Strength: Study Providing Normative Data for a Clinical Handheld Dynamometer

Objective: To establish normative clinical data for upper extremity strength of men and women, ages 20-64 years, using a portable clinical device, the Nicholas Manual Muscle Tester (NMMT). Design: The study collected objective upper extremity strength data for 180 healthy men and women using the NMMT. Setting: The study was conducted in outpatient and community settings. Subjects: One hundred eighty normal volunteers (90 men and 90 women). Methods: Eleven upper extremity muscle groups were tested using standardized methodology. Main Outcome Measurements: Data were recorded for each muscle group in each subject. Results: This study presents data from 180 healthy, normal subjects, equally divided by gender and age. Means +/- standard deviations were determined for each group and further categorized by age, gender, and hand dominance. These data confirm some expected patterns: In all the muscle groups men have significantly higher strength than women, and the dominant side is stronger than the nondominant side in men and women. Relative values for various muscle groups are analyzed and presented. Conclusions: This study provides an initial normative database across a wide age range in men and women for upper extremity strength for monitoring clinical care and research for injured and impaired patients. These data are an essential and initial step toward comprehensive normative databases for upper extremity objective ordinal strength measurements with the NMMT.