title: A comparison of two interventions designed to promote neutral wrist postures during simple computer operations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare two postural interventions, a wrist splint and a Wrist Alignment Device (WAD) with a biofeedback mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine right-handed healthy individuals participated in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using both hands independently a 30-minute office-activity-experiment was performed that consisted of data entry, mouse clicking, text dragging, and mouse scrolling executed one after the other. Joint motion, tendon travel and productivity levels were measured. Participants wore a custom-made flexible electrogoniometric glove (FEG) as three scenarios were tested; namely FEG-only, FEG-Splint, and FEG-WAD. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The joint motion results produced insignificant differences (p>0.05) between hands. Both hands showed larger overall tendon travel for the FEG-only when compared with either FEG-Splint or FEG-WAD experiments. Wearing the splint reduced the overall tendon travel by 24% and 10% for the left and right hands while using the WAD further reduced the overall tendon travel for the left and right hands by 51% and 42%. Productivity levels were similar across participants with respect to experiment task and type.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The WAD intervention is the most suitable device to promote a comfortable and non-restrictive neutral wrist posture.
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering Unit, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK. u.c.ugbolue@strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: U Chris
authors.initials: UC
authors.lastname: Ugbolue
authors.forename: Alexander C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Nicol
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001676:Biofeedback, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D016288:Computer Terminals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D013165:Splints; D013710:Tendons / Q000502:physiology*; D014953:Wrist / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult