Immediate effects of repetitive wrist extension on grip strength in patients with distal radial fracture

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the immediate effect of repetitive wrist extension on grip strength in patients with distal radial fracture.

Design: Interventional study.

Setting: Patients who were admitted to a hospital department of occupational therapy.

Participants: Consecutive patients with a unilateral distal radial fracture (N=28).

Intervention: Each patient was randomly allocated to either the experimental group (n=14) or the control group (n=14). The experimental group performed 30 repetitive wrist extensions with maximal isometric contraction of the extensors of their affected hands during a 6-minute intervention period, whereas the control group did not perform the exercise.

Main outcome measures: Grip strength was measured just before and after the intervention period. Pain during grip strength measurements was also quantified using the visual analog scale. Wrist extension strength was measured 10 minutes after the grip strength measurement.

Results: Grip strength increased immediately after repetitive wrist extension in the experimental group, but it remained the same in the control group. Visual analog scale scores indicated that pain was relieved only in the experimental group. However, pain was unrelated to strength production.

Conclusions: The intervention used in this study might be useful during physical examination to reveal the potential grip strength of patients. The intervention may also be an effective warm-up training procedure in preparation for conventional grip-strengthening exercises.

Keywords: Hand strength; Radius fractures; Rehabilitation; Wrist joint.