Benjamin Binder-Markey
Doctoral Student in Professor Wendy Murray’s Laboratory
Northwestern University
Host: Professor Wendy Murray
Co-supervised by: Wendy Murray and Julius Dewald
Title:
“Exploring Healthy and Pathologic Hand Function through the Development and Application of Biomechanical Musculoskeletal Hand Models”
Abstract:
The hand is an extremely complex system comprised 27 bones and 23 degrees of freedom that are controlled by 42 muscles. Coordinated healthy hand opening and closing is achieved by coupling the movements of multiple joints. This coupling is achieved through a complex balance of forces within the hand contributed by soft tissues structures that surround each joint and muscles that span over multiple joints. However, due to this complexity the hand is highly susceptible to functional impairments if there is an disruption to the balance of these forces due to an injury. First, I will present a novel method we have developed to incorporate the passive mechanical structures of the hand into a biomechanical musculoskeletal model, coupling the movements between the wrist and fingers. Then I will explore how alterations of the biomechanical structures of the hand affect function after an injury through two clinical examples. First, using the model developed above we will explore how alterations of these structures lead to the development of the claw finger deformity after paralysis of the intrinsic muscles. Second, using experimental data we will explore how changes in the passive stiffness of the hand may contribute to impairments after a stroke. The use of both modeling and experimental methods allows for a greater understanding of hand function in both the healthy and impaired populations. This knowledge will aid in the development of more targeted and effective rehabilitation interventions or devices to improve the quality of life for these individuals.