ASSESSMENT OF QUADRICEPS MUSCLE PERFORMANCE BY HAND-HELD, ISOMETRIC, AND ISOKINETIC DYNAMOMETRY IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE DYSFUNCTION

One component of patient evaluation is muscle performance assessment T he purpose of this study was: 1) to determine the difference and corre lation between hand-held, isometric, and isokinetic dynamometry test r esults in patients with knee dysfunction and 2) to determine the effec t of pain during such testing. Bilateral quadriceps strength in 23 sub jects with unilateral knee dysfunction was tested using concentric and eccentric isokinetic dynamometry at 60 degrees/sec, isometric dynamom etry, and hand-held dynamometry, both at 60 degrees of knee flexion, P ain ratings were obtained before, during, and after each test Statisti cal analysis revealed a significant difference between involved and un involved limbs for eccentric isokinetic dynamometry (p = 0.002) and ha nd-held dynamometry (p = 0.005); no difference was found between limbs for the concentric isokinetic and isometric dynamometry (p > 0.05). M ean percent deficits in quadriceps strength ranged from ii to 18% with no significant difference found between testing modes. Pearson produc t moment correlations ranged from 0.34 to 0.76 when comparing testing modes. No significant difference existed in pain scores before, during , and after each mode of testing, It was concluded that large variatio n existed between different testing modes, which results in different conclusions regarding the strength of the quadriceps in patients with knee dysfunction.