Hand osteoarthritis and pinch grip strength among middle-aged female dentists and teachers.
OBJECTIVE
Among female dentists and teachers, we investigated the relationship of pinch grip strength with radiographic hand osteoarthritis (OA) and hand joint pain.


METHODS
We studied 295 female dentists and 248 female teachers aged 45-63 years for pinch grip strength using the Martin Vigorimeter. Hand radiographs were examined for the presence of OA in the wrist and each joint of the first, second, and third fingers. Joint pain and tasks with high hand loading during leisure were assessed by questionnaire. Glove size was used as proxy for hand size.


RESULTS
Symptomatic hand OA (jointwise co-occurrence of radiological findings and pain) increased the risk of low pinch grip strength in both hands, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.3 (95% CI 1.8-6.2) for the right and 2.0 (95% CI 1.1-3.8) for the left hand, allowing for age, occupation, body mass index (BMI), hand size, and hand-loading leisure-time activity. The occurrence of findings and pain in non-corresponding joints was also associated with pinch grip strength in the right hand, but not in the left. Having only radiographic findings or pain was not associated with pinch grip strength.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings support the view that hand function is related to the severity of hand OA.
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Centre of Expertise for Health and Work Ability, Helsinki, Finland.
H
H
Ding
S
S
Solovieva
T
T
Vehmas
E-P
EP
Takala
P
P
Leino-Arjas
D000367:Age Factors; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003815:Dentists; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006225:Hand / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D052581:Pinch Strength; D011859:Radiography; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013663:Teaching