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The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of handle shape on the grip force distribution in the hand and on the muscle forces during maximal power grip tasks. Eleven subjects maximally grasped 3 handles with different external shapes (circular, elliptic, and double-frustum). A handle dynamometer, equipped with both a force sensor and a pressure map, was used to record the forces exerted at the hand/handle interface. The finger and wrist joint postures were also computed from synchronized kinematic measurement. These processed data were then used as input of a biomechanical hand model to estimate muscle forces. The results showed that handle shape influences the maximal grip force, the grip force distribution, and the finger joint postures. Particularly, we observed that the elliptical shape resulted in a 6.6% lower maximal grip force compared with the circular and double-frustum handle. Concomitantly, the estimated muscle forces also varied significantly according to the handle shape, with up to 48% differences for the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle for example. Interestingly, different muscle coordination strategies were observed depending on the handle shape, therefore suggesting a potential influence of these geometrical characteristics on pathological risks such as tendonitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies suggested that a pronounced weakness of the extensor muscles relative to the flexor muscles could increase the risk of occurrence of lateral epicondylalgia. This study investigates this hypothesis by estimating the ratio of extensor to flexor muscle capacities among healthy non-players (n = 10), healthy tennis players (n = 20), symptomatic players (n = 6), and players who have recovered from lateral epicondylalgia (n = 6). Maximum net joint moments in flexion or extension were measured during seven tasks involving the voluntary contraction of wrist and fingers. Using these data, the muscle capacities of the main muscle groups of the hand (wrist flexors, wrist extensors, finger flexors, finger extensors, and intrinsic muscles) were estimated using a musculoskeletal model. These capacities were then used to compute the extensor/flexor capacity ratios about the wrist and the finger joints. Compared to healthy non-players, healthy players presented higher extensor muscle capacities and greater capacity ratios showing that playing tennis generates specific adaptations of muscle capacities. Interestingly, symptomatic players, similar to those of non-players, showed more imbalanced ratios than healthy players. These results confirm that the ratio of extensor/flexor muscle capacities seems to be associated with lateral epicondylalgia and can be further used to understand its incidence and consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]