Grip strength, perceived ability, and health status in individuals with arthritis: an exploratory study.

The purpose of this study is twofold: (1) to describe the hand strength, self-reported manual ability and health status in individuals with osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis, and (2) to evaluate the scale (psychometric) properties of the 36-item Manual Ability Measure (MAM) as it applied to this sample. We administered four self-report assessments to the participants and measured their grip and pinch strength. The results indicated that persons with arthritis had decreased grip and pinch strength, more functional limitations, compromised health status and restricted participation in everyday occupations when compared to the general population. Manual ability was not related to grip strength, but was significantly related to role restriction (i. e., SF-36 Role Physical domain). The study provides evidence that the MAM has adequate psychometric properties when used with patients with osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis.