Normative reference values for knee extension strength obtained by hand-held dynamometry from adults 60 to 79 years were derived using summary data from 3 studies. The studies, which were identified through PubMed and a hand-search, contributed data from between 3 and 29 individuals for each age, gender, and side stratum. Meta-analysis was employed to consolidate knee extension strength data. Strength, normalized against body weight, ranged 35.6% for the nondominant side of 70 to 79 year old women to 48.8% for the nondominant side of 60 to 69 year old men. These values are more informative than those previously published in individual studies. However, reference values derived from a large population-based sample are needed.
Keywords: Older adults; dynamometry; reference values; strength.