Elsevier

The Journal of Hand Surgery

Volume 17, Issue 5, September 1992, Pages 804-809
The Journal of Hand Surgery

Original communication
Architectural design of the human intrinsic hand muscles,☆☆

https://doi.org/10.1016/0363-5023(92)90446-VGet rights and content

Abstract

The architectural features of twenty different muscles (18 intrinsics and 2 thumb extrinsics, n = 180 total muscles) were studied. Muscle length, mass, fiber pennation angle, fiber length, and sarcomere length were determined. From these values, physiologic cross-sectional area and fiber length/muscle length ratio were calculated. Intrinsic muscle lengths were relatively similar to one another, which we interpreted as representing a space constraint within the hand. However, several specialized architectural designs were observed: lumbrical muscles had an extremely high fiber length/muscle length ratio, implying a design toward high excursion. The first dorsal interosseous and adductor pollicis had physiologic cross-sectional areas comparable to those of extrinsic muscles and much greater than those of the other intrinsic muscles. The interosseous muscles had relatively high physiologic cross-sectional areas with low fiber length/muscle length ratios, suggesting their adaptation for high force production and low excursion. Taken together, these observations illustrate the underlying structural basis for the functional capacities of the intrinsic muscles.

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This work was supported by the University of California San Diego Academic Senate, National Institutes of Health Grant AR35192, and the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.

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Although none of the authors have received or will receive benefits for personal or professional use from a commercial party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article, benefits have been or will be received but are directed solely to a research fund, foundation, educational institution, or other nonprofit organization with which one or more of the authors are associated.

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