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Taylor and Francis Group, Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 3(3), p. 274-284

DOI: 10.1080/14639220110114672

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Comparison of three psychophysical techniques to establish maximum acceptable torques of repetitive ulnar deviation

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This paper is available in a repository.

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Abstract

This study represents a continuation of a series of psychophysical studies on repetitive motions of the wrist and hand conducted at the Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health. The purpose of this study was to compare maximum acceptable torques of ulnar deviation determined after a replicated training protocol from an earlier single-movement study of ulnar deviation with maximum acceptable torques of ulnar deviation from both the previous single-movement study and two multi-movement studies. A psychophysical methodology was used in which the subject adjusted the resistance on the handle, and the experimenter manipulated or controlled all other variables. After the 1-week training protocol, 14 subjects performed a ulnar deviation task for six 7-hour work days, 2 days at each repetition rate of 15, 20 and 25 motions per minute. The subjects were instructed to work as if they were on an incentive basis, getting paid for the amount of work they performed. The subjects recorded symptoms during the last 5 minutes of each hour. By replicating the training protocol of a previous single-movement study, the results of this experiment revealed that maximum acceptable torque of ulnar deviation in this study (1.65Nm or 22% of maximum isometric torque) approached a similar level of torque to that reported in the previous single-movement study for a frequency of 15 per minute. However, when further accommodation was shortened in the 20 and 25 per minute conditions, the acceptable torque levels departed from the previous single-movement study and approached lower levels achieved in the multiple-movement studies which had shorter accommodation times for each movement. These results suggests that the maximum acceptable torque determined through psychophysical methods is dependent upon accommodation time in the protocol and that effect of experimental design (single- vs multi-movement) needs to be further explored.