Dominant Non-Dominant Upper Extremity in Gender

There are strength and functional differences between non-dominant and dominant extremities. This is important in the hand and extremity rehabilitation process. This situation also differs between genders. Comparison of the dominant and non-dominant limb can provide important clinical or rehabilitation field-related information. It is reported in the literature that manual dexterity, grip strength and joint position sense may differ between extremities. However, the relationship between this situation and the difference between genders has not been explained. It is thought that examining this difference can be extremely useful in determining achievable goals in hand rehabilitation and in customizing care for different groups.

Many treatment protocols compare the strength of the injured extremity to the uninjured extremity or compare it to normative data from the same group of individuals. There is controversy about the difference in grip strength between dominant and non-dominant hands in left- and right-hand dominant individuals. There is no study in the literature that evaluates the differences in muscle strength, joint position sense and upper extremity function skills between dominant and non-dominant upper extremities between genders. It is very important to include bilateral activity training in rehabilitation programs that aim to improve upper extremity mobility and speed. In addition, it will contribute to the accurate evaluation of activity and participation limitations, the determination of priorities, the selection of the right activity in task-specific and target-oriented treatment approaches, and the achievement of more effective results when integrated with technology-supported approaches. Therefore, the aim of our study is to fill this gap in the literature by comparing the differences between dominant and non-dominant upper extremities between genders.