Measuring hip flexor and extensor strengths across various postures using a fixed belt.

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to evaluate hip flexor and extensor strength due to differences in posture measurement. [Subjects and Methods] Healthy adults (26 males and 24 females) were enrolled. Using a hand-held dynamometer, hip flexor and extensor strengths were measured in various postures and in a basic posture (sitting posture and hip/knee joint flexed 90°) according to the Manual Muscle Testing procedure. While calculating intraclass correlation coefficients by measurement, hip flexor and extensor strengths were compared in males and females for every posture. [Results] Intraclass correlation coefficients were greater than 0.7 in every measurement. There was no significant difference in hip flexor and extensor strengths in both males and females. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in right and left hip flexor strengths and in left hip extensor strength. [Conclusion] Hip flexor and extensor strengths can be simply and easily measured using a hand-held dynamometer.