Place of the gold standard isokinetic dynamometer in Paralympic sports: a systematic review

Purpose Isokinetic dynamometers are machines that can supply multiple elements for measuring muscle strength, peak force, power, endurance, and angle of maximal force. The purpose of this study was to run a systematic review to find the quality of evidence in studies evaluating the gold standard isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex) in Paralympic sports. Methods The search strategy was defined as: (‘Paralympic’ OR ‘Paralympic sport’ OR ‘Parasport’ OR ‘disabled athlete’ OR ‘athletes with a disability’) AND (‘strength’ OR ‘isokinetic’ OR ‘torque’ OR ‘muscle strength dynamometer’ OR ‘isokinetic dynamometer’ OR ‘Biodex’). Four databases were searched: PubMed, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. Results From the 981 articles initially found, 10 records were finally included in this systematic review. Five articles were selected as high quality. The Biodex isokinetic dynamometer was introduced about 3 decades ago; still, a small number of papers (10) have been published on applying it in Paralympic sports. We observed different experimental protocols in the included studies. The shortage of standardization in the experimental protocols precludes pooling data for analyses. Conclusions As the Biodex isokinetic dynamometer is a gold standard, reliable, and valid instrument to measure human joint function, future research should apply it in Paralympic studies.