The Effects of Muscular Strength and Biochemical Parameters on Mallampati Classification in Elite Athletes and Non-Athletes

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to undertake an anthropometric assessment and to compare the muscular strength of elite athletes with that of a control group to predict Mallampati classification. Material and Method: The study group consisted of elite track athletes, and the control group consisted of volunteers with similar characteristics. Anthropometric measurements of the hand, fingers, and wrist were made; handgrip strength and the pinch strength of the fingers were also measured. A serum biochemical analysis was then performed. Participants were divided into two groups: those with Modified Mallampati Scores (MMS) I and II, and those with III and IV. A partial correlation test was used to examine the correlations of the variables according to the MMS groups. Results: The study included 32 elite athletes and 42 volunteer participants. Serum Na level, fingertip to root digit 3 (FTR3), and FTR4 were significantly lower in males in MMS groups 3-4. Among all cases, wrist extension angle (WEA) was found to be significantly lower in MMS group 3-4. However, hand breadth at thumb (HBT), hand depth radial (HDR), breadth at the first joint of digit 2 (BFJD2), pinch strength of thumb (PST), and PSLF were significantly higher in MMS groups 3-4. Among these variables, HBT, BFJD2, PST, and PSLF were significantly higher in elite athletes, but HDR was similar between the study groups. MMS groups showed the highest correlation with the pinch strength of the thumb. Conclusion: The pinch strength of the thumb and little finger was determined as the most important predictors for the MMS group rather than the handgrip strength (HGS).