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

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.