Search results

Work involving pipetting is associated with elevated rates of musculoskeletal disorders of the hand and wrist. The purpose of this study was to quantify thumb loading and muscle activity and determine if they varied among pipetting tasks. Fourteen experienced participants performed nine pipetting tasks while surface electromyography was measured for the extensor pollicis brevis, abductor pollicis longus, flexor pollicis longus, and abductor pollicis brevis muscles. For five tasks, participants used a pipette instrumented to measure the thumb force applied to the plunger. High-precision tasks significantly increased static muscle activity but reduced peak thumb force on average 5% as compared with low-precision tasks. Pipetting high-viscosity fluids increased peak thumb forces on average 11% as compared with pipetting low-viscosity fluids. Use of a latch pipette increased muscle activity of three muscles. We conclude that pipette design and pipetting tasks can influence applied thumb force and muscle activity. We recommend that pipettes be designed to limit applied peak forces and that pipette users be instructed in use patterns that will reduce applied forces. Actual or potential applications of this research include modifications to pipette designs and worker training in order to reduce hand pain associated with pipetting.

Objective: To develop work guidelines for wrist posture based on carpal tunnel pressure. Background: Wrist posture is considered a risk factor for distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders, and sustained wrist deviation from neutral at work may be associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. However, the physiologic basis for wrist posture guidelines at work is limited. Methods: The relationship of wrist posture to carpal tunnel pressure was examined in 37 healthy participants. The participants slowly moved their wrists in extension-flexion and radioulnar deviation while wrist posture and carpal tunnel pressure were recorded. The wrist postures associated with pressures of 25 and 30 mmHg were identified for each motion and used to determine the 25th percentile wrist angles (the angles that protect 75% of the study population from reaching a pressure of 25 or 30 mmHg). Results: Using 30 mmHg, the 25th percentile angles were 32.7° (95% confidence interval [CI] = 27.2°—38.1°) for wrist extension, 48.6° (37.7°—59.4°) for flexion, 21.8° (14.7°—29.0°) for radial deviation, and 14.5° (9.6°—19.4°) for ulnar deviation. For 25 mmHg, the 25th percentile angles were 26.6° and 37.7° for extension and flexion, with radial and ulnar deviation being 17.8° and 12.1°, respectively. Conclusion: Further research can incorporate the independent contributions of pinch force and finger posture into this model. Application: The method presented can provide wrist posture guidelines for the design of tools and hand-intensive tasks.