title: Hand surgery and the development of hand prostheses.
abstract: Hand surgery has shown that afferent impulses to conscious level are essential for control and effective use of any advanced grip. Control of position, motion and load (proprioception) is possible to obtain without joint receptors, by cutaneous receptors alone. Further advances in the construction of hand prostheses must be based on this premise. The value of the key grip is outlined.
mesh_terms: D001186:Artificial Limbs; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design