Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Corresponding author Luc J. Existing literature regarding handheld dynamometer HHD strength reference values is scarce. The current literature includes gaps relating to strength units used and well-described protocols. There is a critical need to develop HHD reference values in adults.
Considering the increased availability of high quality HHD, this issue is urgent. To map the body of existing literature regarding reference values of maximal isometric muscle strength MIMS of upper and lower limbs obtained with handheld dynamometers HHD in healthy adults to identify potential gaps in the literature and specify future research needs. All studies using standardized HHD protocols for the purpose of establishing reference values in healthy adult population were included.
Two independent reviewers completed an initial screening of article titles and abstracts, and the remaining articles were read in their entirety and screened according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Disagreements were discussed, with recourse to a third reviewer when needed. Data of the selected studies were extracted and charted by 2 independent reviewers using a tested data extraction grid to ensure method standardization. Data were subsequently merged to produce the complete final extracted data. Titles and abstracts of studies were screened, 46 articles were fully reviewed, and 9 manuscripts were selected for the final analysis.
A large variability exists between protocols used for muscle testing in terms of type of device, measurement units, subject positioning, and muscle groups tested.
