Method for the estimation of a double hinge kinematic model for the trapeziometacarpal joint using MR imaging

Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin. 2010 Jun;13(3):387-96. doi: 10.1080/10255840903260818.

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a method to estimate the parameters of a double hinge model of the trapeziometacarpal joint (TMC) by MRI-based motion analysis. The model includes two non-orthogonal and non-intersecting rotation axes accounting for flexion-extension (F-E) and adduction-abduction (A-A). We evaluated the quality of the estimated model parameters in the prediction of the relative motion of the first metacarpal bone with respect to the trapezium. As a result, we obtained that: (a) the estimated location and orientation of the F-E and A-A axes were in agreement with previous in vitro studies, (b) the motion of the first metacarpal predicted by the 2 degrees of freedom (2DoF) model exhibits a maximum surface distance error in the range of about 2 mm and (c) four thumb postures at the boundary of the TMC range of motion are sufficient to provide a good estimation of the 2DoF TMC kinematic model and good reproducibility (~1.7 mm) of the real thumb motion at TMC level.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomechanical Phenomena*
  • Carpometacarpal Joints / anatomy & histology*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Male
  • Trapezium Bone / anatomy & histology*