[Hand disorders in pianists]

During the past 10 years numerous studies have been devoted to the pathology of musicians. A few of these studies exclusively concern pianists. From a questionnaire filled and returned by 44 pianists we were able to determine the type and frequency of the symptoms encountered. Pain and stiffness are the principal symptoms, the 4th and 5th fingers being those most affected. Three pathologies predominate in the literature: overuse syndrome, entrapment neuropathy and functional dystonia. The often long and difficult curative treatment rests on rehabilitation. Training in the fundamental postures the pianists must adopt should enable them to reduce the occurrence of these pathologies.