A Study of the Effect of a “Resting Splint” on Peak Grip Strength

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the effect of a resting wrist splint on the change in peak power grip strength (PGS) as compared with bare handed PGS, and to investigate the role of hand morphology on the results. Ninety-six subjects were tested for (PGS) with a Jamar Dynamometer under two conditions: with and without a resting splint. The results showed that PGS decreased by an average of 13.71 % (1.35 SE) while subjects wore the wrist splint as compared with the bare handed PGS. A paired t-test was performed on this difference and found to be significant (p<.0005). Female subjects (N = 44) experienced a two-fold greater percent decrease in their PGS (18.52%, 1.49 SE) than male subjects (9.97%, 1.96 SE). The results of this study suggest that PGS is attenuated with the use of a wrist splint, however none of the anthropometric measurements taken of the hand and wrist proved to be correlated with the dependant variables, change and & percent change in PGS. Correlational analysis found that the independent variables: sex, hand span, wrist circumference, and hand length had correlations greater than .5 with both bare and splinted PGS. These variables were entered into a regression analysis and yielded models for the dependant variables, bare and splinted PGS, with R = .5975 and .5835, respectively. An ANOVA, however, revealed that sex and hand length were the only significant independant variables (p<.001 and p<.05, respectively). Qualitatively, subjects complained that the metal bar of the splint decreased their ability to grip the dynamometer. In some cases, subjects reported discomfort while gripping with a splinted wrist. This combination of obstruction, discomfort and force attenuation may decrease the amount of force that workers are able to apply during work activities. Hand morphology failed to identify workers who might improve hand grip with the use of a wrist splint. The results of this study have important implications for the use of a wrist splint while performing work activities that require the use of a power grip.