Test-Retest Reliability, Validity, and Minimal Detectable Change of the Measurement of Lower Limb Muscular Strength with Handheld Dynamometry in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Background: Chronic kidney disease is an exponentially growing medical and economic worldwide problem. There are specific elements used to assess patient's functional capacity loss and overall deterioration in order to determine the patient's clinical status, and muscle impairment is one of the most common. It is therefore necessary to develop reliable and applicable methods to determine muscle impairment in patients with chronic kidney disease. Methods: This is a prospective, nonexperimental, descriptive methodological investigation performed in patients undergoing hemodialysis. This study analyzes the reliability and validity of muscle strength assessments performed with handheld dynamometry in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis. Results: Results show overall high reliability and validity in the assessment of muscle strength of the lower limbs. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess handheld dynamometry in patients undergoing hemodialysis, presenting promising results with a relatively affordable and easily applicable method.