Why this matters

Carpal tunnel syndrome can make everyday tasks—zipping a jacket, picking up coins, opening a cup—surprisingly tricky. Symptom scores and strength tests help, but they often miss the subtle force control that keeps objects from slipping.

Our team set out to build something better: a clinic-ready, handheld device that measures the precision pinch between your thumb and index finger in real time. By tracking grip and load forces during a lift, it offers an objective signal of sensorimotor control before and after surgery.

What this study asked

Do people with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) use different fingertip forces during a simple pick-up task?
Does object weight change those forces—especially at lighter loads?
How do fingers react to a sudden weight change (the “catch”)?
Do these signals shift after surgical decompression of the carpal tunnel?

Why pinch, not just grip?

Thumb–index pinch relies heavily on the median nerve—the nerve compressed in CTS.
Pinch tasks demand finely scaled force to prevent slip or crush.
The protocol is fast for clinicians to run yet produces rich, objective data for analysis.

How this test compares with familiar clinic measures

Typical clinic measure	What it captures	What it may miss	What precision-pinch adds
Max grip / pinch strength	Peak force output	Moment-to-moment control and adaptation	Continuous grip & load forces across phases of a real task
Symptom questionnaires	Patient-reported pain & function	Objective, sensorimotor details	Quantitative force, force-rate, and variability
Nerve conduction studies	Electrical conduction severity	Everyday task performance	Behavioural readout tied to object handling

The paper walks through instrumentation, filtering, and statistics for each metric.

Inside the precision-pinch prototype

FIGURE A — Sensorized pinch device
Insert the paper’s hardware figure showing the 3D-printed housing, force sensor, and electromagnet.

Handheld device with interchangeable weights for lift and catch phases.

FIGURE B — Alternate layouts
Swap in comparative designs that inspired the final build (e.g., legacy pinch rigs).

Prior pinch rigs that motivated our compact, clinic-friendly form factor.

Replace these placeholders with your actual device photos or CAD renders.

PHUA task at a glance

Pinch Holding-up Activity (PHUA): lift–hold–lift–hold with an optional brief “catch” perturbation to test rapid adjustment.

Signals we monitor

Grip force (FG) vs. load force (FL) as the object rises and stabilises.
Force-rate changes when the catch event suddenly increases the load.
Variability during steady holds that hints at sensorimotor confidence.
Asymmetry across hands to see how the impaired limb compensates.

The manuscript dives into filtering, windowing, and linear-mixed models for each metric.

What to watch in the results

Light loads tell a story: CTS participants often over-grip lighter weights—watch for corrections after surgery.
Catch responses: The electromagnet “catch” reveals how quickly grip force ramps when an object suddenly gets heavier.
Retention: Do improved force profiles persist once the cues and therapist oversight step back?

How to explore the paper

Start with Methods for the device instrumentation and calibration.
Skim Results to compare pre- vs. post-surgery force traces.
Focus on Discussion for rehab implications and integration with standard clinic tests.

Who should care?

Hand surgeons tracking post-operative progress.
Occupational therapists designing grip retraining protocols.
Wearable technologists building sensor-rich clinic tools.

Read the full paper for participant demographics, stats, and device schematics.

Want the full data?

Drop your own PDF link or preprint URL into the buttons above so readers can dive into participant tables, statistical models, and supplementary videos.