title: Immediate effects of repetitive wrist extension on grip strength in patients with distal radial fracture.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the immediate effect of repetitive wrist extension on grip strength in patients with distal radial fracture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interventional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who were admitted to a hospital department of occupational therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patients with a unilateral distal radial fracture (N=28).
  
  
  METHODS
  Each patient was randomly allocated to either the experimental group (n=14) or the control group (n=14). The experimental group performed 30 repetitive wrist extensions with maximal isometric contraction of the extensors of their affected hands during a 6-minute intervention period, whereas the control group did not perform the exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Grip strength was measured just before and after the intervention period. Pain during grip strength measurements was also quantified using the visual analog scale. Wrist extension strength was measured 10 minutes after the grip strength measurement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Grip strength increased immediately after repetitive wrist extension in the experimental group, but it remained the same in the control group. Visual analog scale scores indicated that pain was relieved only in the experimental group. However, pain was unrelated to strength production.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intervention used in this study might be useful during physical examination to reveal the potential grip strength of patients. The intervention may also be an effective warm-up training procedure in preparation for conventional grip-strengthening exercises.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Tokyo University of Technology, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: mitsukane@stf.teu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitsukane
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Nursing and Rehabilitation Sciences, Showa University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Noboru
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sekiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujisawa Shounandai Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Himei
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Fujisawa Shounandai Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Oyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007537:Isometric Contraction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011885:Radius Fractures / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Hand strength; Radius fractures; Rehabilitation; Wrist joint