Objective: Impaired force production is commonly reported by people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), however, the force production of only a small number of lower limb muscle groups. The aim of this study was to quantify force production in all major lower limb muscle groups in ambulatory people with PD during the “on” phase after medication, compared with aged-matched neurologically-normal control participants.

Background: Impaired force production is commonly reported by people with Parkinson’s disease (PD), however, the force production of only a small number of lower limb muscle groups has been reported.

Methods: Design: A cross-sectional, case-controlled study was undertaken. Participants: Thirty ambulatory people with PD and 24 neurologically normal controls. Outcome measures: Isometric force production of the hip flexors and extensors, hip adductors and abductors, hip internal rotators and external rotators, knee flexors and extensors, ankle dorsiflexors and plantarflexors, ankle invertors and evertors using hand-held dynamometry.

Results: There was significantly impaired force production in participants with PD in all lower limb muscle groups tested, compared with control participants. On average, strength of participants with PD was 76% (range 65% to 85% across muscle groups) of control participants, despite participants with PD regularly participating in exercise, being measured during their “on” phase after medication and having normal walking ability. The most severely affected muscle groups were the hip adductors (65%) and ankle plantarflexors (65%).

Conclusions: People with PD have a significant loss of force production in all lower limb muscle groups compared with age-matched neurologically-normal controls. Clinicians should regularly assess the strength of all lower limb muscle groups, regardless of participation in physical activity, responsiveness to levodopa medication and walking ability.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/people-with-pd-have-significantly-impaired-lower-limb-force-production-in-all-muscle-groups-a-cross-sectional-study/