A Physiologically Detailed Biomechanical Model of the Mouse Distal Forelimb for Simulation of Fine Motor Control
- 1Queens College of the City University of New York
Abstract
This study presents a physiologically detailed biomechanical model of the mouse distal forelimb that incorporates intrinsic musculature, tendon routing, and digit-level skeletal anatomy, features simplified or omitted in existing musculoskeletal models. Using high-resolution anatomical reconstruction and computational modeling, we created a physiological representation of the wrist and digits capable of simulating complex forelimb movements. The model enables simulation of coordinated distal forelimb movement and digit-level muscle behavior during grasping-related tasks. Simulations were performed for multiple tasks, including grasping, grasping with supination, wrist flexion, and digit I flexion, with analysis focused on the grasping task due to its integration of both intrinsic and extrinsic musculature. Model performance was evaluated through comparisons of marker trajectories between torque-driven reference motion and muscle-driven simulations, temporal shuffle control, and comparisons between experimentally recorded electromyography (EMG) activity and model-predicted muscle excitation profiles. The model successfully reproduced coordinated distal forelimb kinematics, demonstrated strong agreement between torque-driven and muscle-driven simulation approaches, and generated physiologically plausible muscle excitation patterns consistent with experimentally observed EMG activity during grasping-related movement. These findings establish the model as a framework for studying fine motor control, neuromuscular coordination, and movement-related impairments in mice while providing a foundation for future investigation of neurological disorders and their underlying biomechanical mechanisms.
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BibTeX
@misc{sandoval2026physiologically,
title = {{A Physiologically Detailed Biomechanical Model of the Mouse Distal Forelimb for Simulation of Fine Motor Control}},
author = {N. Lindo Sandoval and J. I. Gilmer and M. Al Borno and A. G. Cuenu Velasco and D. Huber},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.14.751232},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751232v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - A Physiologically Detailed Biomechanical Model of the Mouse Distal Forelimb for Simulation of Fine Motor Control
AU - N. Lindo Sandoval
AU - J. I. Gilmer
AU - M. Al Borno
AU - A. G. Cuenu Velasco
AU - D. Huber
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/14
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.14.751232
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751232v1
AB - This study presents a physiologically detailed biomechanical model of the mouse distal forelimb that incorporates intrinsic musculature, tendon routing, and digit-level skeletal anatomy, features simplified or omitted in existing musculoskeletal models. Using high-resolution anatomical reconstruction and computational modeling, we created a physiological representation of the wrist and digits capable of simulating complex forelimb movements. The model enables simulation of coordinated distal forelimb movement and digit-level muscle behavior during grasping-related tasks. Simulations were performed for multiple tasks, including grasping, grasping with supination, wrist flexion, and digit I flexion, with analysis focused on the grasping task due to its integration of both intrinsic and extrinsic musculature. Model performance was evaluated through comparisons of marker trajectories between torque-driven reference motion and muscle-driven simulations, temporal shuffle control, and comparisons between experimentally recorded electromyography (EMG) activity and model-predicted muscle excitation profiles. The model successfully reproduced coordinated distal forelimb kinematics, demonstrated strong agreement between torque-driven and muscle-driven simulation approaches, and generated physiologically plausible muscle excitation patterns consistent with experimentally observed EMG activity during grasping-related movement. These findings establish the model as a framework for studying fine motor control, neuromuscular coordination, and movement-related impairments in mice while providing a foundation for future investigation of neurological disorders and their underlying biomechanical mechanisms.
ER -