Flexor Digitorum Profundus Tendon Tension during Finger Manipulation: A Study in Human Cadaver Hands

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to measure the tension in the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon in zone II and the digit angle during joint manipulations that replicate rehabilitation protocols. Eight FDP tendons from eight human cadavers were used in this study. The dynamic tension in zone II of the tendon and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint angle were measured in various wrist and digit positions. Tension in the FDP tendon increased with MCP joint extension. There was no tension with the finger fully flexed and wrist extended (synergistic motion), but the tendon force reached 1.77 ± 0.43 N with the MCP joint hyperextended 45 degrees with the distal interphalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints flexed. The combination of wrist extension and MCP joint hyperextension with the distal interphalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints fully flexed, what the authors term “modified synergistic motion,” produced a modest tendon tension and may be a useful alternative configuration to normal synergistic motion in tendon rehabilitation.