Biomechanical assessment of new hand-powered pruning shears.
The aim of the study was to assess the biomechanical strains on the hand-wrist system during grapevine pruning with newly designed pruning shears. Surface electromyography of the finger flexor muscle and wrist postures were analyzed in four vineyard workers during actual work with the new and reference hand-powered pruning shears. Due to the large inter-individual differences in biomechanical data observed with both pruning shears, no systematic effect of the new pruning shears on "extreme" flexion/extension (F/E) and ulnar/radial (U/R) wrist deviations was demonstrated. However, the use of the new pruning shears was associated with a higher frequency of "neutral and moderate" U/R deviations (U/R < 20%(max)) and, to a lesser extent, of "neutral and moderate" F/E deviations (F/E < 20%(max)). Due to the small sample of workers, this result must be confirmed in a larger population of vineyard workers.
Roquelaure
Yves
Y
Department of Occupational Health and Ergonomics, University Hospital, Angers, France. yvroquelaure@chu-angers.fr
D'Espagnac
Fabian
F
Delamarre
Yves
Y
Penneau-Fontbonne
Dominique
D
D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004576:Electromyography; D004867:Equipment Design; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D006804:Ergonomics; D005602:France; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male