Large index-fingertip forces are produced by subject-independent patterns of muscle excitation

Are fingertip forces produced by subject-independent patterns of muscle excitation? If so, understanding the mechanical basis underlying these muscle coordination strategies would greatly assist surgeons in evaluating options for restoring grasping. With the finger in neutral ad- abduction and flexed 45 degrees at the MCP and PIP, and 10 degrees at DIP joints, eight subjects attempted to produce maximal voluntary forces in four orthogonal directions perpendicular to the distal phalanx (palmar, dorsal, lateral and medial) and in one direction collinear with it (distal). Forces were directed within 4.7 +/- 2.2 degrees (mean +/- S.D.) of target and their magnitudes clustered into three distinct levels (p < 0.05; post hoc pairwise RMANOVA). Palmar (27.9 +/- 4.1 N), distal (24.3 +/- 8.3 N) and medial (22.9 +/- 7.8 N) forces were highest, lateral (14.7 +/- 4.8 N) was intermediate, and dorsal (7.5 +/- 1.5 N) was lowest. Normalized fine-wire EMGs from all seven muscles revealed distinct muscle excitation groups for palmar, dorsal and distal forces (p < 0.05; post hoc pairwise RMANOVA). Palmar force used flexors, extensors and dorsal interosseous; dorsal force used all muscles; distal force used all muscles except for extensors; medial and lateral forces used all muscles including significant co-excitation of interossei. The excitation strategies predicted to achieve maximal force by a 3-D computer model (four pinjoints, inextensible tendons, extensor mechanism and isometric force models for all seven muscles) reproduced the observed use of extensors and absence of palmar interosseous to produce palmar force (to regulate net joint flexion torques), the absence of extensors for distal force, and the use of intrinsics (strong MCP flexors) for dorsal force. The model could not predict the interossei co-excitation seen for medial and lateral forces, which may be a strategy to prevent MCP joint damage. The model predicts distal force to be most sensitive to dorsal interosseous strength, and palmar and distal forces to be very sensitive to MCP and PIP flexor moment arms, and dorsal force to be sensitive to the moment arm of and the tension allocation to the PIP extensor tendon of the extensor mechanism.