Leijnse JN, Campbell-Kyureghyan NH, Spektor D, Quesada PM. Assessment of individual finger muscle activity in the extensor digitorum communis by surface EMG. J Neurophysiol 100: 3225-3235, 2008. First published July 23, 2008 doi:10.1152/jn.90570.2008. The extensor digitorum communis (ED) is a slender muscle group in the dorsal forearm from which tendons arise to the index (D2), medius (D3), ring (D4), and little (D5) fingers. Limited independence has been attributed to the parts that actuate the individual fingers. However, in a detailed anatomical analysis, it was found that the ED parts to the different fingers have constant and widely spaced anatomical locations that promote independent function. These observations and the superficial muscle belly locations prompted the hypothesis that these ED parts would be individually assessable by small anatomically placed surface EMG electrodes. In the present study, this hypothesis was evaluated by measuring electromyography (EMG) from the ED parts and surrounding muscles during individual finger tapping tasks with the forearm resting on a flat surface. It was found that individual ED activity can be well measured in ED2, ED3, ED4, and extensor digiti minimi (EDM). ED3 did not give nor did its electrodes receive significant crosstalk from other ED parts. ED4 electrodes recorded an EMG level of 30 Ϯ 19% (mean Ϯ SD) ED2 EMG in D2 tapping and ED2 electrodes a level of 53 Ϯ 22% ED4 EMG in D4 tapping, by hypothesis mostly crosstalk. EDM electrodes may record EMG at the level of ED4 EMG in D4 tapping. In D2 tapping, the mutual ED2 and extensor indicis redundancy reflected in large intersubject EMG differences with sometimes one or the other almost silent. The results may expand the possibilities of EMG analysis and finger muscle electrostimulation in ergonomic and clinical applications. I N T R O D U C T I O NThe extensor digitorum communis (ED) is a slender muscle complex in the dorsal forearm from which end tendons (ETs) arise to index, medius, ring, and little fingers. For the medius and ring fingers, the ED is the only extensor. The index and little fingers each have an additional extensor, the extensor indicis (EI) and extensor digiti minimi (EDM), respectively.Anatomically, the ED parts to the individual fingers are generally regarded as having limited independence. This view seems consistent with the often extensive tendinous interconnections, known as juncturae intertendinei, that exist between the ED tendons at the dorsum of the hand. These interconnections limit relative ED tendon displacements and therefore finger independence (el