Hand-held dynamometry in children with traumatic brain injury: within-session reliability.

To determine the within-session reliability of a standardized protocol for using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) to measure lower-extremity (LE) strength in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to assess any differences in reliability measures when compared with children with typical development (TD) matched for age and sex. A convenience sample of 24 children with TBI and 24 age- and sex-matched controls with TD. The strength of 4 LE muscle groups in each of the lower limbs was tested twice. The within-session intrarater reliability ranged from 0.91 to 0.99 for children with TBI and for children with TD. For children with TBI, the standard error of measurement varied from 0.51 to 1.52 kg. By using an HHD and a standardized measurement protocol, a novice tester can obtain reliable LE strength values in children with TBI.