[Palmar force in Down syndrome people. Analysis of involved muscles]

Abstract

Purpose: To associate hipotony with grip strength in palmar prehension seeking to indicate parameters and a scale of force for bearers of the Down's Syndrome, once there is a growing increase of the longevity in that population and a lack of works, as well as to identify through literature revision and an anatomic and kinesiologic analysis of the muscles involved in this movement.

Methods: Transversal analytic study that had the participation of 138 individuals, distributed in two groups: group of study (GE) = 28 (Down Syndrome's bearers) and the group control (GC) = 110 (normal individuals). The instrument used was the JAMAR dynamometer.

Results: It was verified grip strength significantly smaller for the group GE in relation to the group GC.

Conclusions: men has a prevalence palmar prehension grip strength in relation to women; it was verified a significant deficit of the palmar prehension grip strength in the group GE when compared with the group GC; the obtained results should be considered an indicative of force to rehabilitate the hand function in individuals with Down's Syndrome; it should be taken in consideration the hand's characteristics of the Down's Syndrome bearer, because perhaps they present better results for grip strength with the dynamometer in the position 1; the principal muscles involved in the movement are: long flexor of the thumb; tenars muscles (opponent of the thumb, adductor of the thumb and short flexor of the thumb); hypotenars muscles (short flexor of the minimum finger); superficial flexor of the fingers; deep flexor of the fingers and the 4 lumbrical.