Minimal clinically important difference for grip strength: a systematic review

Abstract

[Purpose] The minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in grip strength is critical to interpreting changes in hand strength over time. This review was undertaken to summarize extant descriptions of the MCID for grip strength. [Methods] A search of 3 bibliographic databases as well as a hand search were completed to identify articles reporting the MCID for grip forces obtained by dynamometry. [Results] Of 38 unique articles identified as potentially relevant, 4 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria of this review. The MCIDs ranged from 0.04 kg to 6.5 kg. However, only a single study used receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and had an associated area under the curve exceeding 0.70. That study reported an MCID of 6.5 kg, which was similar to the MCIDs of another included study and minimal detectable changes reported elsewhere. [Conclusion] Additional, more rigorous, studies are needed to identify MCIDs for grip strength. In the meantime changes of 5.0 to 6.5 kg may be reasonable estimates of meaningful changes in grip strength.

Hand- och benstyrka vid intensivvårdsavdelning (IVA)-mottagning, -en retrospektiiv studie

“…Vad som är minsta kliniskt för patienten betydelsefulla skillnad (minimum clinically important difference) för handstyrka är inte konstaterat, men en litteratursammanställning rekommenderar 5 till 6,5 kg som värde för meningsfull förändring i handstyrka vid upprepade mätningar (Bohannon, 2019). Aktuell studies skillnad i handstyrka (0,9 kg) anses dock inte direkt jämförbar med skillnad beskriven av Bohannon (2019) då forskningspersonernas mätvärden i föreliggande studie jämfördes med matchade kontrollvärden.…”

Using frailty and quality of life measures in clinical care of the elderly in Canada to predict death, nursing home transfer and hospitalisation - the frailty and ageing cohort study

“…While it is unusual for people with chronic frailty to improve to a better CFS level, there is evidence that EQ-5D, EQ-VAS, Gaitspeed, Gripstrength, MNA-SF, GDS and MoCA may be modifiable and that improvements in scores may lower peoples’ risk for adverse outcomes 32 33 48–52. Each of these tests is responsive to change in health and have minimally clinical important differences established,51 53–60. Therefore, repeating these tests may be useful to assess interventions (eg, a medication change or rehabilitation treatment) for individual patients as well as to evaluate aggregated changes for a programme.…”

Effects of a Multidisciplinary Residential Nutritional Rehabilitation Program in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors—Results from the NUTRI-HAB Randomized Controlled Trial

“…For outcomes on physical function where evidence on minimal clinically relevant change was available, it is indicated in the result tables whether mean changes within groups from baseline to follow-up are greater than this cut-off. The relevant cut-offs were defined as 5% for body weight [41], 5 kg for hand grip strength [54], and 14 meters for the 6-min walk test [55].…”

“…Results are shown in Appendix B, Table A2. # Clinically relevant change within group from baseline to 3-month follow-up is defined as a difference between mean value at baseline and 3-month follow up of minimum 5% for weight [41], 5 kg for hand grip strength [54], and 14 m for 6-min walk test [55]. The EQ-5D-5L VAS ranges from 0-100, and the summary index calculated based on Danish values ranges from −0.624 to 1.0.…”