Core Stability and Hand Function in Dental Students

NCT07525414 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ErsoyU5112025
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 44
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate whether a core stability exercise program can improve core endurance, hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity in dental students. The study will include adult dental students who are enrolled at a university and do not have any musculoskeletal or neurological conditions. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does a 6-week core stability exercise program improve core endurance in dental students? Does the exercise program improve hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity compared to usual daily activities? Researchers will compare a core stability exercise group to a control group to determine whether the exercise program is more effective than routine daily activities. Participants will: Be randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group Participate in a supervised core stability exercise program three times per week for 6 weeks (exercise group only) Continue their usual daily activities without additional exercise (control group) Undergo assessments of core endurance, hand grip strength, pinch strength, and manual dexterity before and after the intervention period

Conditions

Core Stability; Hand Grip Strength; Manual Dexterity; Dental Students

Keywords

Core Stability; Hand Function; Manual Dexterity; Dental Students; Exercise

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Core Endurance

  Core endurance will be assessed using the McGill core endurance test battery, including trunk flexor endurance, trunk extensor endurance, and side bridge tests. The duration (in seconds) that participants can maintain each position will be recorded.

  Baseline and after 6 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Hand Grip Strength

  Baseline and after 6 weeks

• Pinch Strength

  Baseline and after 6 weeks

• Manual Dexterity

  Baseline and after 6 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Core Stability Exercise Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group will receive a supervised core stability exercise program for 6 weeks, performed three times per week. Each session will last approximately 30-45 minutes, including warm-up, core stabilization exercises, and cool-down phases. All sessions will be conducted under the supervision of a physiotherapist.

Behavioral: Core Stability Exercise Program

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group will not receive any structured exercise program and will be instructed to continue their usual daily activities. They will be asked not to initiate any new exercise programs during the study period.

Interventions

Core Stability Exercise Program BEHAVIORAL

A structured and progressive core stability exercise program will be conducted over 6 weeks, with three supervised sessions per week. Each session will last 30-45 minutes and include warm-up, core stabilization exercises, and cool-down. The program consists of three progressive phases: Weeks 1-2 focus on core activation and static exercises on a stable surface (e.g., abdominal draw-in, bridge, plank); Weeks 3-4 include dynamic exercises on a stable surface (e.g., bird-dog, curl-up, superman); Weeks 5-6 involve resistance and unstable surface training (e.g., Swiss ball exercises, rotational movements, resisted exercises). All sessions will be supervised by a physiotherapist. Exercise intensity and progression will be individualized based on participant performance, and safety will be monitored throughout.

Core Stability Exercise Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Students enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry at Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University
• Aged 18 years or older
• Right-hand dominant
• No diagnosed musculoskeletal, chronic systemic, or neurological disorder
• No regular exercise habits
• Able to understand and follow study instructions
• Able to speak and understand Turkish
• Willing to participate voluntarily and provide informed consen

You may not qualify if:

• History of spinal or upper extremity injury or surgery
• Presence of disc pathology or cervical spine disorders
• Severe pain affecting upper extremity function
• Any acute injury occurring during the study period that may affect performance
• Inability to complete assessments
• Withdrawal from the study for any reason

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University: lead

Related Publications (4)

• Abd-Elfattah HM, Aly SM. Effect of Core Stability Exercises on Hand Functions in Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy. Ann Rehabil Med. 2021 Feb;45(1):71-78. doi: 10.5535/arm.20124. Epub 2021 Feb 9.

  PMID: 33557483 BACKGROUND

• Suzer A, Buker N, Gungor HR, Ok N, Savkin R. Effects of telerehabilitation-implemented core stability exercises on patient-reported and performance-based outcomes in total knee arthroplasty patients: randomised controlled trial. Physiother Theory Pract. 2025 Jun;41(6):1213-1227. doi: 10.1080/09593985.2024.2411312. Epub 2024 Oct 7.

  PMID: 39374044 BACKGROUND

• Jeffreys, Ian MSc, CSCS. Developing a Progressive Core Stability Program. Strength and Conditioning Journal 24(5):p 65-66, October 2002.

  BACKGROUND

• Jha P, Nuhmani S, Kapoor G, Al Muslem WH, Joseph R, Kachanathu SJ, Alsaadi SM. Efficacy of core stability training on upper extremity performance in collegiate athletes. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2022 Dec 1;22(4):498-503.

  PMID: 36458387 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Akın Süzer, PT, PhD

CONTACT

+90 555 484 3024; akinsuzer@mehmetakif.edu.tr

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded to group allocation. The intervention provider and participants will not be blinded due to the nature of the exercise intervention.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PT, PhD, Assistant Professor

Model Details: Participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention group (core stability exercise program) or the control group (no structured exercise). The study follows a parallel-group design, where both groups are observed concurrently without crossover. The intervention group will receive a supervised 6-week core stability exercise program, while the control group will continue their usual daily activities. Outcome measures will be assessed before and after the intervention period.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 6, 2026
• First Posted: April 13, 2026
• Study Start: April 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027
• Last Updated: April 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share