Determining finger segmental centers of rotation in flexion–extension based on surface marker measurement

This paper describes the development of a novel algorithm for deriving finger segmental center of rotation (COR) locations during flexion–extension from measured surface marker motions in vivo. The algorithm employs an optimization routine minimizing the time-variance of the internal link lengths, and incorporates an empirically quantifiable relationship between the local movement of a surface marker around a joint (termed “surface marker excursion”) and the joint flexion–extension. The latter relationship constrains and simplifies the optimization routine to make it computationally tractable. To empirically investigate this relationship and test the proposed algorithm, an experiment was conducted, in which hand cylinder-grasping movements were performed by 24 subjects (12 males and 12 females). Spherical retro-reflective markers were placed at various surface landmarks on the dorsal aspect of each subjectʹs right (grasping) hand, and were measured during the movements by an opto-electronic system. Analysis of experimental data revealed a highly linear relationship between the “surface marker excursion” and the marker-defined flexion–extension angle: the average R2 in linear regression ranged from 0.89 to 0.97. The algorithm successfully determined the CORs of the distal interphalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, and metacarpophalangeal joints of digits 2–5 during measured motions. The derived CORs appeared plausible as examined in terms of the physical locations relative to surface marker trajectories and the congruency across different joints and individuals.