A comparison of the grip strength of children with myelomeningocele to that of children without disability.

The grip strengths of 108 children aged 6 to 19 years with myelomeningocele were measured and compared with previously published results for children without disability. The grip strengths of the 59 female subjects with myelomeningocele were significantly lower than those of the population without disability in all age groups except for the 12 to 15 years range. The 49 male subjects exhibited significantly lower grip strengths only up to age 12 years. Implications and recommendations for clinical treatment, effects of secondary neurological complications, limitations of the study, and topics of future research are discussed.