Some factors contributing to the stabilisation of normal human fingers

Abstract

The freely moving human hand, either in gesture or e.g. whilst preparing to strike the keys of a keyboard instrument, generally makes use of motions to be performed with stabilised finger positions. Any disturbed tonus of the muscles maintaining this stabilisation may produce an imbalance of agonists and antagonists, during the various trajectories that finger motions have to follow. This may eventually lead to focal dystonias - in hands of musicians and e.g. PC workers alike. The following overview will present some of the underlying mechanisms of normal finger stabilisation.