Muscle force measured using "break" testing with a hand-held myometer in normal subjects aged 20 to 69 years

Objective: To measure the strength of 17 muscle groups in the upper and low er extremities in a large group of healthy subjects using "break" testing w ith a hand-held myometer, and to examine the intrasession and intersession reliability of the testing protocol. Subjects and Instrumentation: A convenience sample of 20 men and 20 women i n each decade of age from 20 to 69 years (n = 200) was tested using a Penny & Giles hand-held myometer. Results: Reliability coefficients were >.85 for both intrasession and inter session reliability, except for the ankle dorsiflexors. Men exerted a signi ficantly greater force than women for all muscle groups. Age, weight, and s ide of testing were significant predictors of force in the majority of musc le groups. The fifth percentile values, as the lower limit of normal, are r eported separately for gender and side of testing for each decade of age. Conclusion: Using the testing protocol specified in this study, data from p atients with various neuromuscular diseases may be compared with the approp riate gender- and age-matched normal data to accurately identify the presen ce of weakness.