Moberg Picking-Up Test in patients with hand osteoarthritis

Study design: Clinical measurement.

Introduction: The Moberg Pick-up Test (MPUT) was previously used to evaluate functional performance in patients with hand inflammatory disease. This is the first study using the MPUT in hand osteoarthritis (OA).

Purpose of the study: Compare the functional performance (MPUT) in hand OA patients and healthy controls.

Methods: Fifty hand OA patients and 50 controls were assessed using the MPUT, AUSCAN and Cochin questionnaires, grip and pinch strength, pain using a visual analog scale and a Likert scale regarding difficulty to perform MPUT.

Results: In the MPUT evaluation, the OA group presented a statistically significant difference from the control group. The OA group spent more time executing test. The grip and pinch strength measurements showed higher values for the control group. The OA group reported a greater difficulty than the control group in performing the test.

Conclusion: The MPUT is a short and easy to apply test, which can be safely used to assess the functional performance of the hand OA.

Level of evidence: II.