The Reliability of Myotonometer in Evaluating the Muscle Tone and Biomechanical Properties of the Forearm Muscles

The Reliability of Myotonometer in Evaluating the Muscle Tone and Biomechanical Properties of the Forearm Muscles: Investigation of the Effect of Grip Strength on Mechanical Features

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of MyotonPRO in measuring muscle tone and mechanical properties of the wrist extensor and flexor muscles in healthy young adults. The secondary aim is to examine whether grip strength has any effect on muscle tone and biomechanical properties.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Muscular Tone; Viscoelasticity

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 56

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Bitlis, Turkey, 13000
    • Bitlis Eren University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy adults between 18-35 years old

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age≥18 years
• Body mass index < 30 kg/meter square
• Having no upper extremity injuries
• Willing and able to provide the written informed consent for the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Use of medication that will affect muscle tone
• History of lateral or medial epicondylitis, trauma (elbow, hand or wrist), cervical radiculopathy, peripheral neuropathy or nerve injury (axillary, median, ulnar, radial, musculocutaneous), systemical diseases, muscle disorders (e.g. genetic diseases, neuromuscular disorders)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle tone (Hz)	The muscle tone which is a biomechanical property of the forearm muscles will be evaluated with a portable hand-held myotonometer. This myotonometer (MyotonPRO - Tallinn, Estonia) is non-invasive and provides a quantitative assessment of a muscle's biomechanical properties. The MyotonPRO applies a short-intensity mechanical impulse on the skin overlying the muscle or facia. The tissue's response then generates a signal that is recorded, and an internal software program produces an acceleration graph. To determine the feasibility of the MyotonPRO for assessing the muscle tone of forearm muscles measurements will be performed and recorded.	Day 1
Stiffness (N/m)	The stiffness which is a biomechanical property of the forearm muscles will be evaluated with a portable hand-held myotonometer. This myotonometer (MyotonPRO - Tallinn, Estonia) is non-invasive and provides a quantitative assessment of a muscle's biomechanical properties. The MyotonPRO applies a short-intensity mechanical impulse on the skin overlying the muscle or facia. The tissue's response then generates a signal that is recorded, and an internal software program produces an acceleration graph. To determine the feasibility of the MyotonPRO for assessing the stiffness of forearm muscles measurements will be performed and recorded.	Day 1
Elasticity (Logarithmic decrement)	The elasticity which is a viscoelastic property of the forearm muscles will be evaluated with a portable hand-held myotonometer. This myotonometer (MyotonPRO - Tallinn, Estonia) is non-invasive and provides a quantitative assessment of a muscle's viscoelastic properties. The MyotonPRO applies a short-intensity mechanical impulse on the skin overlying the muscle or facia. The tissue's response then generates a signal that is recorded, and an internal software program produces an acceleration graph. To determine the feasibility of the MyotonPRO for assessing the stiffness of forearm muscles measurements will be performed and recorded.	Day 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Grip Strength	Handgrip strength will be measured with the JAMAR Hydraulic Hand Dynamometer. Participants will be asked to sit down with knees and hip flexed to 90⁰, forearm in a neutral position, wrist in 0-30⁰ extension, and 0-5⁰ ulnar deviation while on a chair with backrest. During the measurement, the examiner will instruct them to squeeze the handles of the dynamometer as strongly as possible and then let them loose completely, with a loud motivating command. This will be repeated 3 times with 1-minute rest breaks and the average value will be calculated. During the measurements, the Jamar dynamometer will be grasped from the lower and upper parts by the examiner.	Day 1

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: İlke KARA, PT
• Collaborators: Dokuz Eylul University; Bitlis Eren University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 27, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 29, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): January 5, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 2, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 5, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): January 10, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 10, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 5, 2022
• Last Verified: January 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: elasticity; hardness; forearm muscles
• Other Study ID Numbers: BEU-IK-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No