OBJECTIVES To evaluate the reliability of using the thenar eminence to determine steak doneness. DESIGN Double-blinded, cross-sectional study. SETTING Various home kitchens in Melbourne, Australia. PARTICIPANTS Amateur/home cooks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The accuracy of the finger test (the tenseness of the thenar eminence in different hand positions) for determining how well a random bee...

The excitability of thenar motoneurons (reflected by F-wave persistence and amplitude) and thenar muscle force were measured during a stimulation protocol (90 s of 18-Hz supramaximal electrical stimulation of the median nerve) designed to induce muscle fatigue (force decline). Data from muscles (n = 15) paralyzed by chronic cervical spinal cord injury were compared with those obtained from cont...

BACKGROUND The intramuscular nerve distribution and relative spindle abundance of the human hand have not been well defined, although this is important in guiding hand surgery. METHODS Forty human hands were dissected and subjected to modified Sihler's stain and haematoxylin and eosin stain to investigate intramuscular nerve distribution and relative spindle abundance, respectively. RESULTS...

The transverse carpal ligament (TCL) forms the volar boundary of the carpal tunnel and may provide mechanical constraint to the median nerve, leading to carpal tunnel syndrome. Therefore, the mechanical properties of the TCL are essential to better understand the etiology of carpal tunnel syndrome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo TCL stiffness using acoustic radiation f...

We recorded the optical intrinsic signal response of squirrel monkey primary somatosensory cortex (SI) to 25 Hz vibrotactile ("flutter") stimulation applied independently to the thenar eminence on each hand and also to bilateral (simultaneous) stimulation of both thenars. The following observations were obtained in every subject (n = 5). (1) Ipsilateral stimulation was accompanied by an increas...

BACKGROUND Biophysical measures to assess that skin water includes stratum corneum hydration via capacitance (SC), dermal water via tissue dielectric constant (TDC), and transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Since skin differs among anatomical sites and tissue depth we sought to determine the site and depth variability of these measures and their relationships. METHODS Measurements were done at 1...

Our aim was to determine whether thenar tissue oxygen saturation (S(tO2)), measured by noninvasive near-infrared spectroscopy, and its changes derived from an ischaemic challenge are associated with weaning outcome. Our study comprised a prospective observational study in a 26-bed medical-surgical intensive care unit. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation for >48 h, and considered ready to ...