Treaster D E, Marras W S
Biodynamics Laboratory, The Ohio State University, 1971 Neil Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Clin Biomech (Bristol). 2000 Aug;15(7):499-503. doi: 10.1016/s0268-0033(00)00012-7.
To assess the biomechanical impact of commercially available alternate keyboard designs.DESIGN. A repeated measures study was conducted in a laboratory setting, with planned comparisons of Pitch, Roll and Yaw angles of the keyboards. Ten keyboard conditions were tested. Dependent measures included tendon travel, wrist deviations, and wrist and finger kinematics.BACKGROUND. Various alternate keyboard designs have recently been introduced, which vary Pitch, Roll and Yaw angles, separation distance between keyboard halves, and include other novel features such as cup-shaped depressions for the keys. Yet little objective research has been conducted regarding the biomechanical implications of these various design features. This study attempts to quantify the keyboard designs in terms of several recognized risk factors associated with cumulative trauma disorders that arise with repetitive typing.
Wrist and finger goniometers were used to measure joint motions during a standardized typing task. 15 experienced typists (8 women, 7 men) served as subjects. Regression equations were used to generate estimates of tendon travel.RESULTS. Tendon travel was affected primarily by Pitch but not Roll or Yaw angles while wrist deviations responded to changes in all three angles. Males had significantly greater amount of tendon travel than female subjects; this difference was only partially accounted for by anthropometry. Differences in joint motion may have a greater impact on the amount of tendon travel.CONCLUSIONS. Alternate keyboard designs can affect tendon travel by as much as 11%. RelevanceAs various alternate keyboard designs are marketed, quantifiable biomechanical data such as that provided by this study, will help to assess their impact on the risk factors for cumulative trauma disorders.
评估市售替代键盘设计的生物力学影响。
在实验室环境中进行重复测量研究，对键盘的俯仰角、翻滚角和偏航角进行计划比较。测试了十种键盘条件。相关测量包括肌腱行程、手腕偏差以及手腕和手指的运动学。
最近推出了各种替代键盘设计，这些设计在俯仰角、翻滚角和偏航角、键盘两半之间的分隔距离方面有所不同，还包括其他新颖的特征，如按键的杯形凹陷。然而，关于这些各种设计特征的生物力学影响，几乎没有进行客观研究。本研究试图根据与重复打字引起的累积性创伤障碍相关的几个公认风险因素，对键盘设计进行量化。
在标准化打字任务期间，使用手腕和手指测角仪测量关节运动。15名经验丰富的打字员（8名女性，7名男性）作为受试者。使用回归方程生成肌腱行程的估计值。
肌腱行程主要受俯仰角影响，而不受翻滚角或偏航角影响，而手腕偏差对所有三个角度的变化都有反应。男性的肌腱行程明显多于女性受试者；这种差异仅部分由人体测量学解释。关节运动的差异可能对肌腱行程量有更大影响。
替代键盘设计可使肌腱行程变化高达11%。
随着各种替代键盘设计上市，本研究提供的此类可量化生物力学数据将有助于评估它们对累积性创伤障碍风险因素的影响。
