Normative model of human hand for biomechanical analysis

A three-dimensional normative model of the hand was established, based on the averaged anatomical structure of ten normal hand specimens. The joint and tendon orientations were defined from biplanar X-ray films. The configurations of the hand at the joints were described by the classic Eulerian angles. Force potential and moment potential parameters were utilized to describe the contribution of each tendon in the force analysis. The mean values of these two parameters were used to compute the designated two points for each tendon at each joint in the normative model. With appropriate coordinate transformations at the joints, the tendon locations and excursions under various functional configurations can be computed. This model can be used to perform force and motion analyses for both normal and pathological hands.