Maximum voluntary isometric pinch contraction and force-matching from the fourth to the eighth decades of life.

Understanding the effects of age and gender on pinch strength, variability, and accuracy and how one's hand function changes with age better enables those in the preventative and rehabilitative fields to combat these losses. The present study examined fine motor maximum pinch strength [maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC)] as well as the ability to maintain 5% MVIC accurately and consistently in five decades. One hundred adults in five groups, 20 in each decade of life from 30 to 79 years old, were nonrandomly recruited from the community.