Climbing is a rapidly growing sport, and the inclusion in the 2021 Olympics will further push the popularity.  The numerous originalities of Sport climbing (SC) is the intense use of finger, hands and forearms to displace the body on vertical to fully overhangning wall profiles. Therefore, climbers are prone to specific injuries different from many other sports, mainly located in the fingers and hand. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between finger flexion (FF) and wrist extension (WE) for force max (F-max) and force average (F-avg). Another aim of the study was to analyse the ratio between FF and WE in regards of injuries. A total of 26 climbers were tested on two separate occasions for underarm capacities in FF in a half crimped position and WE.  Isometric contraction was measured for F-max during a three sec interval and anaerobic power, F-avg, during a 30 sec interval. Correlation between variables were analysed by linear regression and one way ANOVA was used to analyse previously injured vs non injured groups. Statistical significance was set at P = 0.05. This study found that climbers showed a significant relationship between FF and WE for both the F-max and 30s F-average tests R² > 0.30, P < 0.004. This can be valuable information for climbers and coaches for training. Furthermore an increased ratio was seen in more experienced climbers, and the same group also showed a higher prevalence of injuries than moderate climbers.

One of the most devastating effects of tetraplegia is the inability to grasp and manipulate everyday objects necessary to living an independent life. Currently surgery is widely accepted as the solution to improve hand functionality. However, surgery becomes difficult when the user has paralysed wrists as is the case with C5 tetraplegia. The aim of this research was to develop a solution which provided controlled wrist flexion and extension which, when combined with surgery, achieves a 'key pinch' grip. This particular grip is critically important for people with C5 tetraplegia as it is used for countless grasping activities, necessary on a day-to-day basis. A systematic design process was used to evolve the solution to provide controlled wrist flexion and extension. Concept brainstorming identified four alternative solutions which were evaluated to find the preferred concept. The chosen solution was called the Self Powered Wrist Extension Orthosis, more commonly referred to as the 'orthosis'. This concept contained a shoulder harness which provided both energy and control to the wrist harness, which in turn changed the wrist position. The orthosis was developed with the use of a mathematical model which theoretically predicted the functional performance by comparing the required force needed to move the wrist harness to the achievable force supplied by the user's shoulders. Using these parameters, the orthosis was optimized using the matlab Nelder-Mead algorithm which adjusted the wrist harness geometries to maximize the functional performance. A prototype was constructed and tested with the help of two participants who when combined, achieved an average of 18.5° of wrist rotation. The theoretical model however predicted an average range of motion of 28.4°. The discrepancy found between the theoretical and experimental result can be contributed to incorrect assumptions in the theoretical model. This included unaccounted friction and inaccurate modeling of the orthosis dynamics. The feedback from potential users of the orthosis was enthusiastic and encouraging especially towards the simplicity, usability and practicality of the design.