Multiaxis grip characteristics for varying handle diameters and effort.

Objective: A multiaxis dynamometer was used to quantify grip force vector angles and longitudinal centers of pressure (COPs) while varying handle size and effort used.

Background: Authors of many studies have examined maximum grip strength using scalar instruments; a few have measured two-axis forces limited to one or more finger contact. This novel dynamometer uses two instrumented beams that are grasped by the distal fingers and proximal palm to compute two orthogonal components of force and the longitudinal COP through which the force acts.