Problems underlying impaired hand function in rheumatoid arthritis

ABSTRACT

In this study we used the grip strength to evaluate the hand function in rheumatoid patients and determined the relation between grip strength and different parameters measured in those patients. We divided our patients into two groups according to their grip strength. Patients with higher grip strength showed a higher visual analogue scale of pain which was of a high statistical significance [p<0.001]. Also we found that grip strength correlated negatively with age, disease duration and visual analogue scale of pain. As regards drug intake, low grip strength was associated with disease modifying drugs while high grip strength was associated with NSAIDs. This shows that several cofactors contribute to the rheumatoid hand function not a single factor