The excursions of the finger flexor tendons produced by the application of a Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) machine were measured in the hands of 16 fresh cadavers. Measurements were taken with and without a roller bar at the distal palmar crease and with the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints held in various positions of flexion. The tendon excursions of the index and middle fingers were longer than those of the ring and little fingers. With the MCP joint held in extension, the excursion of flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) was longer than that of flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) in each finger. When the MCP joint was immobilised at 45 or 90 degrees the excursion of FDS was longer.
The use of a roller bar produced further excursion of FDP and a statistically significant increase in the relative motion between FDS and FDP particularly when the MCP joints were immobilised at 45 degrees.