Reliability of the NK dexterity board

The NK computerized hand evaluation system includes a dexterity board that can be used to measure patients' ability to manipulate small, medium, and large objects. This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of the NK dexterity test. Thirty-seven healthy subjects aged 20 to 54 years completed two occasions of dexterity testing. Each occasion included bilateral dexterity tests consisting of two trials of each of three subtests. Intraoccasion intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) indicated fair to excellent reliability (ICC, 0.53-0.86). Interoccasion ICCs tended to be lower and ranged from 0.39 to 0.83, depending on the subtest. Reliability tended to be higher with the dominant hand than with the nondominant hand. Improvements in equipment design and alternative testing protocols may be needed to ensure consistently excellent reliability in dexterity scores with this test.