Thumb joint movement and muscular activity during mobile phone texting - A methodological study.
OBJECTIVE
The extended intensive use of mobile phones and other devices for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) could expose the thumbs and fingers to operational stresses beyond their intended function which may generate pain and musculoskeletal disorders in the thumbs and the associated joints. Studies characterizing biomechanical exposures associated with mobile phone use are limited to date and the use of electrogoniometry and EMG was assessed for characterizing thumb-based activities.


METHODS
The purpose was to investigate whether there were associations between thumb-based exposures registered with relatively easy-to-use electrogoniometric methods and more complicated EMG methods. Our hypothesis was that some outcome measures from the simpler electrogoniometric methods are related/correlated to and may be used as surrogate measure for the more complicated EMG methods.


CONCLUSIONS
Due to low associations and the complementary nature of exposures collected with electrogoniometry and EMG, the results indicated both measures are necessary for characterizing thumb exposure during mobile phone text messaging. Only in a few, selected abduction/adduction activities, could electrogoniometry be used in lieu of EMG for assessing thumb exposures.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Academy, Göteborg University, Box 414, SE-40530 Göteborg, Sweden. per.jonsson@amm.gu.se
Per
P
Jonsson
Peter W
PW
Johnson
Mats
M
Hagberg
Mikael
M
Forsman
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D053587:Arthrometry, Articular / Q000379:methods*; D040421:Cell Phone; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D004576:Electromyography; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005260:Female; D005384:Finger Joint / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D013933:Thumb / Q000502:physiology*; D014956:Writing