Introduction/background/objectives:

The dynamometer is an accessible instrument in the acquisition and use, reason why the majority of companies that provide external services have it and sometimes use it. However, the bibliography on this method is not very abundant. The purpose of this review was to summarize the most pertinent data on this technique and reflect on whether it is being used properly in Occupational Health and what are its potential in this context.

Methodology:

This is a Bibliographic Review, initiated through a research carried out in January 2021, in the databases “CINALH plus with full text, Medline with full text, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Nursing and Allied Health Collection: comprehensive and MedicLatina”.

Content:

The handgrip strength assessment can be used to specifically quantify the limitations in the upper limb, infer the ability to work after an accident/illness/surgery, and/or perceive the evolution of a rehabilitation process. The quantification of force can be altered by many factors.

There are several types of Dynamometers: some are fixed, complex, demanding, expensive and others are portable, simple, economical and without requiring special training.

There are some consensual protocol recommendations for the correct execution of the test.

Some guiding values for the quantifications obtained in some countries are published, by age, sex and/or division by left/right or dominant/non-dominant hand, but which are not accepted as absolute references.

Discussion and Conclusions:

Sometimes some workers are evaluated by Dynamometry; however, even though it is a simple procedure at a technical level, some of the individuals who perform it do not have enough knowledge to mitigate/control some variables that may skew the result. In addition, there are no reference values with which we can compare a single value obtained, leaving the doubt whether the validity of the exam will only serve to analyze the different values obtained in the same worker (in the left/right, dominant/non-dominant hands and/or over time, depending on aging or medical circumstances that can reduce strength, as pathologies, accidents and/ or respective rehabilitation.

Suggestions of values were found for some countries that, in the absence of consensually accepted reference values, it can serve as a guide.

The well-executed exam allows to perceive the physical capacity of work, to better manage the conditionings by the Occupational Physician, assign tasks or even to a more reasoned contestation in relation to a work accident process.

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