Boys with grip force below 50th percentile have 19% lower bone strength at distal radius

Grip force (GF) has been related to bone size and strength at the radius shaft in children. We assessed whether grip force would independently predict variance in finite element derived bone strength estimates (failure load and stiffness) at the fracture-prone distal radius. We also assessed whether grip force reference data could help to differentiate children with poorer bone strength by comparing bone strength between children with grip force below 50th percentile to those children with grip strength equal or above 50th percentile. Results indicated that grip force independently predicted variance in distal radius failure load and stiffness in both boys and girls. Boys with grip force below 50th percentile had on average 18-19% lower failure load and stiffness than their peers in with grip force equal or above 50th percentile based on Canadian grip force reference data.