Abstract:
Muscle strength assessments are often used to measure muscle
performance, allowing the physical therapist to diagnose weaknesses or modification,
to compare the effectiveness of treatments and guide possible interventions. The
knowledge of the maximum muscular strength that an individual has is a necessary
component to develop an adequate rehabilitation program. Objectives: The main
objective of the present study is to test the psychometric properties and the isometric
dynamometry’s operationalization of lower limb in healthy individuals. The secondary
objective is to systematically review the literature, identifying the reference’s values
and procedures for manual isometric dynamometry. Methodology: Meta-analysis was
carried out according to the Preferred Items guidelines for Reports for Systematic
Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA). Articles with reference values for manual
dynamometry of the lower limbs published until June 2019 were included. Isometric
muscle strength assessment of lower limbs was performed with a Lafayette
dynamometer to test the reliability of the instrument and the operationalization of the
measurement. Results: 17 studies were included, and 1,342 items of normative data
related to 10 different muscle groups were extracted. Conclusion: The results of this
research add scientific information on the relationship between muscle strength and
age, as well as muscle strength and sex. Manual isometric dynamometry demonstrated
good to excellent reliability in assessing muscle strength of lower limbs in a healthy
population. The performance of one measurement, after familiarization with the test,
did not reduce the reliability of the intraclass coefficient.
