NORMATIVE ISOMETRIC HIP MUSCLE FORCE VALUES ASSESSED BY A MANUAL DYNAMOMETER

OBJECTIVE: Hand-held dynamometry is a quantitative and accessible means of determining the isometric force of muscle groups. METHODS: A total of 52 women aged 20–29 years with no complaints of hip pain who were sedentary or sporadically active and had a body mass index of 18.5–24.99 kg/m(2) were included. All participants underwent bilateral assessments using hand-held dynamometry of the flexor, extensor, adductor, and abductor muscles as well as the internal and external rotator hip muscles. All hip movements were measured. All contraction data collected by the dynamometer are expressed in kilograms, normalized according to body weight, and expressed as percentages. RESULTS: The flexor muscles exhibited an isometric muscle force of 38.54% of body weight versus a muscle force of 27.04% for the extensor muscles, 16.89% for the adductors, 16.85% for the abductors, and 17.09% for the external rotators, and 23.82% for the internal rotators. CONCLUSION: Standardization of isometric strength values according to body weight proved feasible. This result is important for clinical practice since it allows the establishment of patterns of normality and criteria for discharge, return to sports, or assessment of the impact of injuries in terms of loss of muscle strength. Level of evidence: III, Development of diagnostic criteria on consecutive patients (with universally applied reference “gold” standard).