USING THE EXOS-HANDMASTER TO MEASURE DIGITAL RANGE OF MOTION - RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY

Traditional assessment of digital range of motion via a standard gonio meter is a weak correlate of hand function and task performance. Yet i t remains one of the primary, quantitative methods of hand assessment used to determine an individual's ability to return to work or to asse ss his or her permanent functional impairment. Another technique more representative of functional performance would be immensely useful for clinicians, patients, employers and third-party payers. The objective of this research was to investigate the clinical feasibility of using the Exos Handmaster, a Hall-effect instrumented exoskeleton, to measu re angular joint rotation of the metacarpophalangeal and interphalange al joints. The work reported in this paper includes a description of m odifications to the fixation technique and calibration procedures of t he Handmaster and the results of an investigation of the unit's reliab ility and validity.