Considering How Unconstrained Trunk and Shoulder Movements Influence the Control of Arm Mechanics

The human arm is actuated by multiple muscles acting in concert to allow complex coordinated movements. The properties and neural control of these muscles allow the hand to be positioned throughout the available workspace and permit the resulting arm posture to remain stable in the face of unexpected disturbances. Examining how this control is achieved may provide insight to the physiological mechanisms underlying able-bodied behavior and may also indicate strategies for restoring some of this ability following neuromotor deficits such as spinal cord injury. In addition, a better understanding