HANDGRIPS STRENGTH AS A PREDICTOR OF FUNCTIONAL RECOVERY IN PATIENTS WITH SUBACUTE AND CHRONIC STROKE

Research Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether grip strength is a predictive indicator of functional recovery in patients with subacute and chronic stroke.

Design: This study was a retrospective observational study.

Setting: Data on patients with stroke admitted to the National Rehabilitation Center from 2017 to 2022 was used.

Participants: Patients with stroke were divided into normal hand grip strength (NHGS) and weak hand grip strength (WHGS) groups based on their grip strength. Participants with grip strength cutoff values on the affected side less than 28 kg for men and 18 kg for women were classified into the weak hand grip strength group.

Interventions: conventional rehabilitational treatment

Main Outcome Measures: The differences between the admission and discharge values of functional recovery indicators, including MBI, FAC, and K-MMSE, were evaluated; difference in functional recovery between the two groups was also determined. After dividing the participants into independent (FAC 4–5) and non-independent (FAC 0–3) walking groups, differences in functional recovery were determined in the NHGS and WHGS groups.

Results: There was no significant difference in the changes in MBI, FAC, and K-MMSE values according to grip strength in the independent ambulation group (FAC 3–5). In the non-independent walking group (FAC 0–2), the changes in MBI (p =.005) were significantly higher in the NHGS than in the WHGS group.

Conclusions: Grip strength can be a predictive indicator of recovery of activity of daily living among patients with subacute and chronic stroke who have difficulty walking independently.

Author(s) Disclosures: The authors declare no conflict of interest.