Abstract
The role of the hand is crucial for the performance of activities of daily living, thereby ensuring a full and autonomous life. Its motion is controlled by a complex musculoskeletal system of approximately 38 muscles. Therefore, measuring and interpreting the muscle activation signals that drive hand motion is of great importance in many scientific domains, such as neuroscience, rehabilitation, physiotherapy, robotics, prosthetics, and biomechanics. Electromyography (EMG) can be used to carry out the neuromuscular characterization, but it is cumbersome because of the complexity of the musculoskeletal system of the forearm and hand. This paper reviews the main studies in which EMG has been applied to characterize the muscle activity of the forearm and hand during activities of daily living, with special attention to muscle synergies, which are thought to be used by the nervous system to simplify the control of the numerous muscles by actuating them in task-relevant subgroups. The state of the art of the current results are presented, which may help to guide and foster progress in many scientific domains. Furthermore, the most important challenges and open issues are identified in order to achieve a better understanding of human hand behavior, improve rehabilitation protocols, more intuitive control of prostheses, and more realistic biomechanical models.
Highlights
The ability to carry out activities of daily living (ADL) is critical to ensure a full and autonomous life [1], and has been established by the WHO as the main factor for classifying the degree of disability [2]
The literature review consisted in examining research studies that recorded EMG of hand and forearm muscles regarding the activation of these muscles in ADLs, and the dimensional reduction of the muscular action of the hand
This section includes a review of studies that have characterized hand and forearm muscle activity while performing specific activities, such as grasps, ADL, work activities, and sports
Summary
The ability to carry out activities of daily living (ADL) is critical to ensure a full and autonomous life [1], and has been established by the WHO as the main factor for classifying the degree of disability [2]. The ability of the hands to grasp and manipulate is fundamental in the performance of ADL [3] and for working life [4] This ability is achieved thanks to a complex musculoskeletal system, with 25 degrees of freedom that are controlled by approximately 38 muscles located in the forearm and hand [5]. The extrinsic muscles are considered to control crude movements of the hand and produce forceful grip, while the intrinsic muscles would be responsible for the fine motor functions of the hand [6,7,8] Both the specific role of the different muscles in ADL and how the Central Nervous System dares with this redundant and complex muscular system are still unknown [9]. This information is essential for determining the impact on functionality when a given muscle is compromised because of an accident or pathology
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
