Quantification of Wrist Motion in Highly Repetitive, Hand-Intensive IndustrialJobs

摘要

A study was conducted to investigate the effects of wrist motion components onrisk of hand/wrist cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) in an industrial environment. A quantitative surveillance study was performed in industry in which workers' wrist motion was monitored on the factory floor. A total of 40 subjects from eight industrial sites participated in the study. The wrist motion parameters that were monitored on each subject were static (position), and dynamic (velocity and acceleration measures in each plane of movement radial/ulnar, flexion/extension, and pronation/supination). The major findings of the study were that wrist position parameters were limited in predicting CTD risk; that there were significant differences between CTD risk levels for all angular velocity and acceleration parameters in all three planes of wrist movement; that the best predictor of CTD risk was flexion/extension average acceleration; that the second best predictor of CTD risk was flexion/extension average velocity; and that there is a need for further research on the dynamic components of wrist motion in order to effectively use quantitative measures of wrist motion to prevent CTDs in industry.