Effect of Wrist Posture on Carpal Tunnel Pressure While Typing

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bach JM ; Keir PJ ; Rempel DM
• Description:
  Long weekly hours of keyboard use may lead to or aggravate carpal tunnel syndrome. The effects of typing on fluid pressure in the carpal tunnel, a possible mediator of carpal tunnel syndrome, are unknown. Twenty healthy subjects participated in a laboratory study to investigate the effects of typing at different wrist postures on carpal tunnel pressure of the right hand. Changes in wrist flexion/extension angle (p = 0.01) and radial/ulnar deviation angle (p = 0.03) independently altered carpal tunnel pressure; wrist deviations in extension or radial deviation were associated with an increase in pressure. The activity of typing independently elevated carpal tunnel pressure (p = 0.001) relative to the static hand held in the same posture. This information can guide the design and use of keyboards and workstations in order to minimize carpal tunnel pressure while typing. The findings may also be useful to clinicians and ergonomists in the management of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome who use a keyboard. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Computers Cumulative Trauma Disorders Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Biomechanics Carpal-tunnel-syndrome Computer-equipment Cumulative-trauma Cumulative-trauma-disorders Muscles Musculoskeletal-system-disorders Office-equipment Repetitive-work Statistical-analysis
• ISSN:
  0736-0266
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  26
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20034310
• Citation:
  J Orthop Res 2008 Sep; 26(9):1269-1273
• Contact Point Address:
  David Rempel, Ergonomics Program, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 1301 South 46th Street, Building 163, Richmond, CA 94804
• Email:
  david.rempel@ucsf.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• NORA Priority Area:
  Disease and Injury: Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Upper Extremities
• Performing Organization:
  University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19920801
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Orthopaedic Research
• End Date:
  19950731
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2d8fbae92b333d4732a3cec35b55915baf5b646221242ff640003770044ab00b641a0c2418a7c4ee91a1c62c90265991a11a162a30cba756b4902313a9d149f4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/189560/cdc_189560_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 92.80 KB ]