How controlled motion alters the biophysical properties of musculoskeletal tissue architecture

Movement is fundamental to the normal behaviour of the hand, not only for day-to-day activity, but also for fundamental processes like development, tissue homeostasis and repair. Controlled motion is a concept that hand therapists apply to their patients daily for functional gains, yet the scientific understanding of how this works is poorly understood.

To review the biology of the tissues in the hand that respond to movement and provide a basic science understanding of how it can be manipulated to facilitate better functionThe review outlines the concept of controlled motion and actions across the scales of tissue architecture, highlighting the the role of movement forces in tissue development, homeostasis and repair. The biophysical behaviour of mechanosensitve tissues of the hand such as skin, tendon, bone and cartilage are discussed.

Controlled motion during early healing is a form of controlled stress and can be harnessed to generate appropriate reparative tissues. Understanding the temporal and spatial biology of tissue repair allows therapists to tailor therapies that allow optimal recovery based around progressive biophysical stimuli by movement.