Ranges of dynamic motion of the wrist in healthy young and middle-aged men.
The difference in the range of dynamic motion of the wrist between young and middle-aged men was studied. To analyse wrist function easily, a new quantitative evaluation technique for wrist circumduction using a biaxial flexible electrogoniometer was introduced. A phase plane was made from two-channel signals of the electrogoniometer, and the 'ROM (range of motion) Index' for wrist circumduction was defined. Twelve healthy young men (age 19-31 years) and twelve healthy middle-aged men (age 45-63 years) were studied. Under forearm fixed conditions, there was no difference of the ROM Index between the two age groups. A significant decrease of the ROM Index in the middle-aged group was found in the non-dominant wrists without forearm fixation. The four quadrantal analysis of wrist circumduction clarified that this difference appeared especially in the radiodorsal direction. These results suggest that in the middle-aged men, the motor function involving the radiocarpal and midcarpal joints does not decrease, but that for the proximal and distal radioulnar joints in the non-dominant side drops.
Ojima
H
H
Department of Ergonomics, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan.
Miyake
S
S
Kumashiro
M
M
Togami
H
H
Suzuki
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009038:Motion; D014953:Wrist / Q000502:physiology*