Investigating the Effect of Keyboard Distance on the Posture and 3D Moments of Wrist and Elbow Joints among Males Using OpenSim

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper extremities and computer use are common in modern societies, and both show a growing trend. This study was conducted to determine the posture and 3D moments of wrist and elbow joints at different keyboard distances on a desk. Twelve healthy right-handed...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Milad Gholami, Alireza Choobineh, Mohammad Abdoli-Eramaki, Azizallah Dehghan, Mohammad Taghi Karimi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2022-01-01
Series:Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5751488
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850219718352306176
author Milad Gholami
Alireza Choobineh
Mohammad Abdoli-Eramaki
Azizallah Dehghan
Mohammad Taghi Karimi
author_facet Milad Gholami
Alireza Choobineh
Mohammad Abdoli-Eramaki
Azizallah Dehghan
Mohammad Taghi Karimi
author_sort Milad Gholami
collection DOAJ
description Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper extremities and computer use are common in modern societies, and both show a growing trend. This study was conducted to determine the posture and 3D moments of wrist and elbow joints at different keyboard distances on a desk. Twelve healthy right-handed male volunteers attended the motion analysis laboratory. A keyboard was placed at three different distances from the participants’ bodies while performing a standard computer task. The workstation was adjusted according to ANSI/HFES-100-2007 standard for each participant to maintain a comfortable ergonomic posture for controlling confounding variables. Qualisys motion capture system, OpenSim (Ver. 4.1), and visual analog scale were used to collect and analyze the data. The highest levels of wrist flexion and radial deviation as well as elbow flexion and pronation were observed when the keyboard was at the edge of the desk. When the keyboard was 8 cm away from the edge of the desk, the right wrist flexion and radial deviation decreased 83% and 89%, respectively. In the left wrist, flexion and radial deviation decreased 94%. With increasing the distance of the keyboard from the edge of the desk, the right elbow flexion, pronation, and left elbow flexion decreased, 95%, 76%, and 85%, respectively. No significant difference was found for the left elbow pronation, wrist, and elbow joint moments, in the studied keyboard distances. However, a cut-off point has to be specified because large keyboard distances cause high extension and flexion of the limbs. The keyboard position relative to the body is an important parameter in computer work and has a significant impact on the posture of the upper extremities. A keyboard should be located at a distance that allows the upper extremities to remain in a neutral position so that the risk of MSDs is reduced.
format Article
id doaj-art-799747b6eeb64831a600090efcb5934a
institution OA Journals
issn 1754-2103
language English
publishDate 2022-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
spelling doaj-art-799747b6eeb64831a600090efcb5934a2025-08-20T02:07:17ZengWileyApplied Bionics and Biomechanics1754-21032022-01-01202210.1155/2022/5751488Investigating the Effect of Keyboard Distance on the Posture and 3D Moments of Wrist and Elbow Joints among Males Using OpenSimMilad Gholami0Alireza Choobineh1Mohammad Abdoli-Eramaki2Azizallah Dehghan3Mohammad Taghi Karimi4Department of ErgonomicsResearch Center for Health SciencesSchool of Occupational and Public HealthNoncommunicable Diseases Research CenterSchool of Rehabilitation SciencesMusculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper extremities and computer use are common in modern societies, and both show a growing trend. This study was conducted to determine the posture and 3D moments of wrist and elbow joints at different keyboard distances on a desk. Twelve healthy right-handed male volunteers attended the motion analysis laboratory. A keyboard was placed at three different distances from the participants’ bodies while performing a standard computer task. The workstation was adjusted according to ANSI/HFES-100-2007 standard for each participant to maintain a comfortable ergonomic posture for controlling confounding variables. Qualisys motion capture system, OpenSim (Ver. 4.1), and visual analog scale were used to collect and analyze the data. The highest levels of wrist flexion and radial deviation as well as elbow flexion and pronation were observed when the keyboard was at the edge of the desk. When the keyboard was 8 cm away from the edge of the desk, the right wrist flexion and radial deviation decreased 83% and 89%, respectively. In the left wrist, flexion and radial deviation decreased 94%. With increasing the distance of the keyboard from the edge of the desk, the right elbow flexion, pronation, and left elbow flexion decreased, 95%, 76%, and 85%, respectively. No significant difference was found for the left elbow pronation, wrist, and elbow joint moments, in the studied keyboard distances. However, a cut-off point has to be specified because large keyboard distances cause high extension and flexion of the limbs. The keyboard position relative to the body is an important parameter in computer work and has a significant impact on the posture of the upper extremities. A keyboard should be located at a distance that allows the upper extremities to remain in a neutral position so that the risk of MSDs is reduced.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5751488
spellingShingle Milad Gholami
Alireza Choobineh
Mohammad Abdoli-Eramaki
Azizallah Dehghan
Mohammad Taghi Karimi
Investigating the Effect of Keyboard Distance on the Posture and 3D Moments of Wrist and Elbow Joints among Males Using OpenSim
Applied Bionics and Biomechanics
title Investigating the Effect of Keyboard Distance on the Posture and 3D Moments of Wrist and Elbow Joints among Males Using OpenSim
title_full Investigating the Effect of Keyboard Distance on the Posture and 3D Moments of Wrist and Elbow Joints among Males Using OpenSim
title_fullStr Investigating the Effect of Keyboard Distance on the Posture and 3D Moments of Wrist and Elbow Joints among Males Using OpenSim
title_full_unstemmed Investigating the Effect of Keyboard Distance on the Posture and 3D Moments of Wrist and Elbow Joints among Males Using OpenSim
title_short Investigating the Effect of Keyboard Distance on the Posture and 3D Moments of Wrist and Elbow Joints among Males Using OpenSim
title_sort investigating the effect of keyboard distance on the posture and 3d moments of wrist and elbow joints among males using opensim
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2022/5751488
work_keys_str_mv AT miladgholami investigatingtheeffectofkeyboarddistanceonthepostureand3dmomentsofwristandelbowjointsamongmalesusingopensim
AT alirezachoobineh investigatingtheeffectofkeyboarddistanceonthepostureand3dmomentsofwristandelbowjointsamongmalesusingopensim
AT mohammadabdolieramaki investigatingtheeffectofkeyboarddistanceonthepostureand3dmomentsofwristandelbowjointsamongmalesusingopensim
AT azizallahdehghan investigatingtheeffectofkeyboarddistanceonthepostureand3dmomentsofwristandelbowjointsamongmalesusingopensim
AT mohammadtaghikarimi investigatingtheeffectofkeyboarddistanceonthepostureand3dmomentsofwristandelbowjointsamongmalesusingopensim