Hand-Osteoarthritis (H-OA) leads to pain, loss of grip strength, and decreased hand function. Current treatment for H-OA involves joint protection programs (JPP) which seek to reduce joint loading during activity. The use of wearable technology to measure hand forces during activity has the potential to determine the effectiveness of JPP. The objective of this thesis was to develop and validate a method of directly measuring finger forces during the performance of activities of daily living, and then use that system to measure the envelope of hand forces during activity in healthy individuals and in patients with H-OA. A commercially-available capacitive sensor system was validated for use in this application and found an envelope of applied forces consistent with previous literature. Using the measurement system and protocols presented in this thesis, the effectiveness of JPP at reducing hand forces can, for the first time, be objectively quantified.
Keywords:
Hand Osteoarthritis (H-OA); Joint Protection Programs (JPP); Activities of Daily Living (ADL); Hand Function; Hand Forces; Wearable Technology; Force Sensors