Relationship and Mechanisms between Biomechanical Factors and Median Nerve Compression in the Office Workplace

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K17686
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 59040:Nutrition science and health science-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Loh Ping Yeap 九州大学, 芸術工学研究院, 助教 (60814952)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: carpal tunnel syndrome / median nerve / ergonomics / finger flexion / ultrasound

Outline of Final Research Achievements

(1) Working posture and pointing devices showed influence on forearm muscle activity during office work. Types of pointing device could influence the work performance. (2) Working time and working posture could influence the muscle fatigue during office work. Under similar working posture and pointing device, working time act as a main factor on muscle fatigue. (3) Multiple finger flexion, individual finger flexion can cause more significant morphological changes in the median nerve, especially under the index and middle finger conditions. There is complex non-linear relationship between finger flexion force and median nerve morphological changes.

Free Research Field

人間工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究でパソコン作業・ポインティングデバイスの操作における筋肉疲労を検討した。ポインティングデバイス作業を中心とする仕事現場において，立位姿勢の導入は，作業時の上肢の疲労を軽減させる効果があるであろう．最後、手指の屈曲で異なる出力による正中神経形状の変化の結果による，作業中様々な手指に関連する作業における前腕筋活動や正中神経への影響することを示した．作業関連筋骨格系疲労の対策として，エルゴノミクスデザインにつながる可能性を示唆する点で重要である．