Examination of toe grip bar position for measuring toe grip strength

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of the present study was to investigate the position of the toe grip bar at which maximum strength could be exerted during toe grip strength and measurement reproducibility. [Subjects] Twenty-four healthy young men were selected. [Methods] We measured toe grip strength during the following three positional conditions of the toe grip bar: immediately above the first interphalangeal (IP) joint, front of the IP joint, and back of the IP joint. [Results] We found that toe-grip strength was significantly higher immediately above the IP joint than at the front and back of the IP joint. Moreover, the intraclass correlation coefficient was good for the three conditions. [Conclusion] The results suggest that immediately above the IP position is the most suitable toe grip bar position for measuring toe grip strength, as this position allows maximum strength exertion and repeated measurements.