The influence of gender, grasp type, pinch width and wrist position on sustained pinch strength

Sustained pinch strength data were collected from eight male and eight female subjects using a modified Caldwell regimen for pinch strength. Four independent variables were investigated: gender, wrist position, grasp type, and pinch width. All main effects were significant at the alpha = 0.05 level, and several 2-way interactions were significant. The effects of wrist position and grasp type were fairly well predicted by previous research; however, no published research has investigated the effects of pinch width. Based on the results of this study, it appears that the optimal pinch width is close to 5 cm, and this value may be different for males and females. The data reported here are considerably lower than other published data, probably because previous research has concentrated on peak strength, suggesting that peak pinch strength data should be used with caution as they may overestimate pinch strength capabilities.