Dynamic aspects during the cylinder grip — flexion sequence of the finger joints analyzed using a sensor glove

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess whether there is a universal pattern of movement of the finger joints while performing a cylinder grip. A sensor glove was used to record the finger joint motion of 48 participants. Our observations showed that when examining the fingers, flexion motion began either at the metacarpophalangeal (MP) or proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints, with the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joints always last to move (p = 0.0052). The sequence of the joints at the end of the gripping motion was different than at the beginning. Here, the only statistically significant observation was that the DIP joints fully flexed only once the MP joints had flexed fully. Apart from that, it was completely variable which joint reached its final position first or last. The analysis also revealed that synchronization of four identical joints (i.e. the four PIP joints) was significantly higher than synchronization of the 12 finger joints. Although synchronization was already high at the beginning of the flexion motion, it increased significantly by the time the joints completed their movement.

Finger Kinematics during Human Hand Grip and Release

“…The joint sequence of the thumb is different from that of the long fingers. The MCP-IP sequence occurred most frequently in the thumb flexion in this study, which was also observed during the cylinder grip [34] and during the thumb opposition [44]. Similarly, the probability of the IP-MCP sequence was relatively larger during extension.…”

“…The results showed that, although the joint sequences were not absolutely identical among all fingers, they shared some commonalities. On the other hand, previous studies have implied that the finger joint sequence would change during the motion process [ 33 , 34 ]. However, no study has fully characterized the joint sequences at the beginning, middle and end of the flexion and extension of fingers.…”

Finger Kinematics During Human Hand Grip and Release

“…The joint sequence of the thumb is different from that of the long fingers. The MCP-IP sequence occurred most frequently in the thumb flexion in this study, which was also observed during the cylinder grip [32] and during the thumb opposition [42]. Similarly, the probability of the IP-MCP sequence was relatively larger during extension.…”

“…The results showed that, although the joint sequences were not absolutely identical among all fingers, they shared some commonalities. On the other hand, previous studies have implied that the finger joint sequence would change during the motion process [31,32]. However, no study has fully characterized the joint sequences at the beginning, middle and end of the flexion and extension of finger.…”

“…However, some researchers believed that the DIP joint movement is likely to lag behind that of the PIP joint because the FDP has a longer moment arm across the DIP joint than the PIP joint [40]. In many studies involving finger flexion, the PIP joint was observed to move prior to the DIP joint [31,32]. Clearly, the coordinated motion of fingers is the result of complex neuro-musculo-skeletal interactions [41].…”