title: Ergonomic risk factors for cumulative trauma disorders in VDU operators.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to investigate the rate of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) in the upper body and to describe the associations of such disorders with ergonomic parameters in a group of data entry operators. A total of 173 data entry operators volunteered to take part in the study. Questionnaires were used to investigate their medical history. Diagnoses of CTDs were made with clinical tests. A visual posture analysis of the workers and an ergonomic analysis of workstations and workload were used to reveal risk factors. Neck and shoulder pain, extensor tendonitis of the wrists and De Quervain's disease were common in the study population. An assessment of risk factors showed that leaning wrists on the keyboard, hard keystrokes, extreme wrist joint and thumb positions and working in poor ergonomic design were correlated to pain and development of CTDs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Başkent University, Ankara, Turkey. nurt@baskent-ank.edu.tr
authors.forename: Nur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Turhan
authors.forename: Celil
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akat
authors.forename: Müfit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akyüz
authors.forename: Aytül
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cakci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016288:Computer Terminals; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires