Correlation Between Instrumental Hand Function and Activities of Daily Living in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objective: To find the correlation of instrumental handfunction (grip strength, muscle power and range ofmotion) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) inrheumatoid arthritis patients.Methods: 50 patients of either sex were included in thestudy. Objective evaluation of hand function was doneusing Hand dynamometer and Electrogoniometer(Tracker system-version 4®). The patients were assessedfor their functional limitations using Indian version ofHAQ-DI. Spearman rank collision was performed to findout the association among the variables.Results: It was found that most of the disease specificparameters like morning stiffness, number of inflamedjoints, duration of the disease and deformities had a strongcorrelation with the instrumental hand function. Deficitsin grip strength, tip pinch, palmar pinch, and range ofmotion of hand strongly correlated to difficulty in activitiesof daily living in patient with RA. Instrumental handfunctions (grip strength, pinch strength and range of motionof joints) were significantly impaired in patient with RAand they had good correlation with Indian HealthAssessment Questionnaire Disability Index (IHAQ-DI).Conclusion: Instrumental hand function assessmentalong with IHAQ-DI is an effective tool in evaluationand modulation of therapeutic interventions in patientswith rheumatoid arthritis. The instrumental hand functionassessment can also predict the deficits in ADL.