Medical College of Wisconsin
CTSICores SearchResearch InformaticsREDCap

Simple method for measurement of lower extremity muscle strength. Am J Med 1985 Jan;78(1):77-81

Date

01/01/1985

Pubmed ID

3966492

DOI

10.1016/0002-9343(85)90465-6

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0021906966 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   660 Citations

Abstract

A simple, rapid, reproducible method for quantification of lower extremity muscle strength was standardized. The time needed to stand 10 times from a standard chair was recorded in 139 healthy subjects, aged 20 to 85 years (77 men, 62 women). Reproducibility was 6.8 percent (+/- 3.4 percent). Neither height nor weight was related to time in either sex. Weight was related to time (p less than 0.05) after adjusting for age, but this effect was slight compared with the effect of age alone. A highly significant (p less than 0.0001) relationship between time and age was found in both sexes. Younger men performed better than younger women, although this difference was lost in the older age groups. The results of this simple test correlated well with published data on the strength of knee flexor and extensor muscles in groups of men and women of various ages. This method was used to evaluate serially six consecutive patients with classic polymyositis or dermatomyositis. Improvement after treatment with prednisone used alone or in combination with azathioprine or methotrexate was found in all cases.

Author List

Csuka M, McCarty DJ

Author

Mary Ellen Csuka MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Azathioprine
Creatine Kinase
Female
Humans
Leg
Male
Middle Aged
Muscles
Muscular Diseases
Prednisone
Sex Factors
Time Factors