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LOGINClinical Tools: The Evolution of Dynamometry
Technology plays a massive role in our daily lives, and sports medicine is no different. As clinicians integrate technology into their practice, athletes benefit from personalized interventions. Nick Pereira unpacks some of the clinical applications for hand-held dynamometry and highlights the reliability, limitations, and contextual influences impacting its use in rehabilitation.
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III drives by Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards in the third quarter during game three in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
In the dynamic and evolving field of sports medicine, clinicians are driven by a constant pursuit to optimize athletic performance while safeguarding the health and longevity of athletes. Central to this mission is injury prevention and the careful management of return to play protocols. Clinicians integrate technology and advanced human measurement devices to support these goals. The technological insight allows for more individualized assessment, targeted interventions, and evidence-informed decisions that enhance injury prevention strategies and performance outcomes.
“The technological insight allows for more individualized assessment, targeted interventions…”
History
Sports clinicians have used hand-held dynamometry (HHD) to objectively measure muscle strength since the 1980s(1). Driven by the need for objective measurement of muscle strength, it is an essential component of the physical assessment for objectively measuring strength, monitoring rehabilitation, and gauging the efficacy of interventions. Since its origins as spring gauges, it has steadily evolved into fully app-based tools with databasing and built-in inclinometers (see figure 1).
The original devices primarily focused on grip strength, while the modern HHDs combine grip strength, compression, tension, and grip strength measurement with the added benefit of an inclinometer. Additionally, clinicians conduct, capture, and analyze the data on wireless devices (e.g., smartphone or tablet), and it is all bundled neatly onto a central database.
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