Hand grip and key pinch strength in patients with Behcet's disease

Background: Behcet's disease is predominantly an inflammatory disease with oral and genital ulcus, uveitis and erythema nodosum. It is a chronic disease with unprecetended remission and activation periods. Behcet's disease may also affect extremities in the form of arthritis, myositis, enthesis, tenosynovitis and dactylitis. The most affected joints are knee, wrist hand, ankle and elbow. A history of sytemic inflammatory disease in a patient with a hand disease or a one who is a candidate for hand surgery may affect the surgical procedure and post-operative rehabilitation. Thus recognition of this condition is essential for the hand surgeon, physiotherapist, and the patient. Objective: To evaluate the impact of Behcet's disease on grip and key pinch strength. Subjects: Fifty (31 male, 19 female) patients with Behcet's disease and 50 ( 32 male, 18 female) controls. Results: Hand grip and key pinch strength of Behcet's patients did not differ from that of normal subjects. Conclusions: Behcet's disease does not seem to affect grip and pinch strength.