Manual muscle testing: A method of measuring extremity muscle strength applied to critically III patients

Nancy Ciesla, Victor Dinglas, Eddy Fan, Michelle Kho, Jill Kuramoto, Dale Needham

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

49 Scopus citations

Abstract

Survivors of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and other causes of critical illness often have generalized weakness, reduced exercise tolerance, and persistent nerve and muscle impairments after hospital discharge. Using an explicit protocol with a structured approach to training and quality assurance of research staff, manual muscle testing (MMT) is a highly reliable method for assessing strength, using a standardized clinical examination, for patients following ARDS, and can be completed with mechanically ventilated patients who can tolerate sitting upright in bed and are able to follow two-step commands. This video demonstrates a protocol for MMT, which has been taught to ≥43 research staff who have performed >800 assessments on >280 ARDS survivors. Modifications for the bedridden patient are included. Each muscle is tested with specific techniques for positioning, stabilization, resistance, and palpation for each score of the 6-point ordinal Medical Research Council scale. Three upper and three lower extremity muscles are graded in this protocol: shoulder abduction, elbow flexion, wrist extension, hip flexion, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion. These muscles were chosen based on the standard approach for evaluating patients for ICU-acquired weakness used in prior publications.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbere2632
JournalJournal of Visualized Experiments
Issue number50
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2011

Keywords

  • Clinical protocols
  • Critical illness
  • Intensive care units
  • Issue 50
  • Medicine
  • Muscle strength
  • Reproducibility of results

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neuroscience(all)
  • Chemical Engineering(all)
  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
  • Immunology and Microbiology(all)

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