Hand grip function assessed by the box and block test is affected by object surfaces.

Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 3200 North Cramer Street, Milwaukee, WI 53211, USA. seon@uwm.edu

Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand Therapists 2012 Oct-Dec

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N/A. One of the hand function assessment tools is the Box and Block Test (BBT). To examine if the BBT score is affected by grip surfaces. Thirteen adults performed the BBT with wooden, rubber-covered, and paper-covered blocks. The BBT scores and time for seven movements (finger closing, contact to lift-off, transport before barrier, transport after barrier, release, return, and reach) were compared across the three block types. The mean BBT score was 8% higher for the rubber blocks than the paper and wooden blocks (p<0.01) due to the reduced time for contact to lift-off (when the finger touches a block until the block is lifted). Hand function assessments should be controlled for object surfaces. Therapists may vary grip difficulties by changing object surfaces. Redesigning daily objects with high-friction surfaces may increase grip function. N/A. Copyright © 2012 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation

Na Jin Seo, Leah R Enders. Hand grip function assessed by the box and block test is affected by object surfaces. Journal of hand therapy : official journal of the American Society of Hand Therapists. 2012 Oct-Dec;25(4):397-404; quiz 405