A Device for Testing the Intrinsic Muscles of the Hand

Testing intrinsic function in the past has been primarily via coordination tests such as the Minnesota Rate of Manipulation Tests, Purdue Pegboard Test, Valpar Work Sample, The Crawford, to name a few. Typically as therapists we will use exercise putty and various techniques in the clinic to strengthen these important functional muscles of the hand. However, measuring the strength of these muscles has been very limited and time-consuming. This author has devised an instrument to test the strength of these muscles. Although, there are studies that need to be done to test the validity of the piece of equipment, it would appear to have great use clinically and could possibly have significant potential in recording objective data for research purposes.— Peggy Fillion, OTRL, CHT, Practice Forum Editor