Project Director
Hamilton, Kara
Department Examiner
Levine, David; McDonald, Susan
Publisher
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Place of Publication
Chattanooga (Tenn.)
Abstract
Individuals with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) often experience functional deficits that impair range of motion (ROM) in their hands and fingers. Daily tasks like opening jars and eating become more difficult and painful for individuals with RA because they lack the grip strength and adequate ROM to perform these activities. Because of this, efforts have been made to accommodate decreasing functionality due to decreased ROM. Adaptive utensils are currently being explored as a potential aid for hand and finger functional deficits. This study sought to quantify the ROM needed for individuals with RA to grip the handles of adaptive utensils of varying diameters to better understand the advantages that such devices might have for this population. Thirty-eight individuals representing seventy-six hands were recruited for this study. The ROM of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint, proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint was measured using an electrogoniometer for fingers 2-5. The MCP and interphalangeal (IP) joints were measured for the thumb. The measurements were repeated using three spoons: standard handle, built-up 1-inch (2.54 cm) handle, and built-up 1.5-inch (3.81 cm) handle. A repeated measures ANOVA yielded significant differences for all joints between the three handle conditions except for the 1st MCP joint, which found a significant difference between the dominant and non-dominant sides. It was found that as spoon handle diameter increased, the ROM required for individuals to grip the spoons decreased. These findings could potentially benefit those with RA and other impairments who might be aided through the use of adaptive and built-up utensils.
Acknowledgments
Dr. Kara Hamilton, Dr. David Levine, Dr. Susan McDonald, Hensley Barnes, Caroline Craig, Sally Langager, Anna Cornett Owenby
IRB Number
17-117
Degree
B. S.; An honors thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Bachelor of Science.
Date
5-2019
Subject
Rheumatoid arthritis -- Patients -- Rehabilitation; Self-help devices for people with disabilities
Discipline
Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment
Document Type
Theses
Extent
21 leaves
DCMI Type
Text
Language
English
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
Recommended Citation
Yeager, Lauren, "Effectiveness of adaptive utensils on hand and finger range of motion in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis" (2019). Honors Theses.
https://scholar.utc.edu/honors-theses/210
Department
Dept. of Health and Human Performance