Comparative Analysis of Functional Wrist Brace and Wrist Angle on Maximal Grasp Strength

Abstract

Wrist braces have been used in the industry with the notion that they would restrict the range of motion of the wrist to an extent that it would decrease the risk of CTS during forceful repetitive tasks and enhance productivity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the functional wrist brace, wrist angle, and fatigue on maximal grasp strength. Fourteen male and sixteen female college students participated in the study utilizing a soft brace, a hard brace, and no brace in three different static wrist positions (45° flexion, neutral, and 45° extension) prior to and after fatigue to determine the effect on maximal grasp strength measured by a computerized wrist dynamometer. The results of the ANOVA indicated that grasp strength was significantly greater when the wrist was in the flexion position followed by neutral, then wrist extension. However, brace type and fatigue states did not produce statistically significantly different grasp strengths overall. Therefore, the position a grasping task is performed at should be evaluated keeping in mind that the neutral and flexion positions allow for the greatest maximal grasp force with or without a wrist brace. Wrist braces are not recommended as a preventative or protective device during forceful repetitive tasks but the effects of their usage on maximal grasp strength must be evaluated with special consideration of the post-fatigue state.