The Effect of Alternative Keyboards on Discomfort and Typing Kinematics

Awkward postures during computer keyboard use have been hypothesized to be one cause of musculoskeletal pain/discomfort as well as musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity (MSD-UE). Alternative computer keyboards purport to reduce musculoskeletal pain/discomfort and have been shown to change aspects of keyboard users' kinematics under laboratory conditions. However, research that has examined the effectiveness of alternative keyboards in reducing musculoskeletal pain/discomfort in the workplace is equivocal, and no study has examined the association between postures and musculoskeletal pain. The Aims of this 3-year prospective double cross-over trial are: 1) To examine the effectiveness of an alternative keyboard in reducing reports of pain over 6-months; 2) To examine the neutrality and stability of postures during keyboard use; and 3) To identify which postures are associated with lower levels of musculoskeletal pain. Seventy-five computer users will be randomly assigned to one of two keyboard use orders: Group 1 - AB (standard keyboard, alternative keyboard); Group 2 - BA (alternative keyboard, standard keyboard). All subjects will use their assigned keyboards for 6-months before switching to the next keyboard. Every week, subjects will report their musculoskeletal pain levels. Just prior to and just after each 6-month intervention subjects' kinematics performances on the keyboards will be recorded at the worksite using the Keyboard - Personal Computing Style (K-PeCS) instrument and in a laboratory setting using 3-dimensional motion capture technology.

Aim 1: To examine the effectiveness of an alternative keyboard in reducing pain over 6-months.

Hypothesis 1 (H-1) - At six months subjects using an alternative keyboard will have significantly lower musculoskeletal pain levels than when using a standard keyboard.

Aim 2: To examine the neutrality and stability of postures during keyboard use.

Hypothesis 3 (H-2) - Subjects using an alternative keyboard will have significantly more neutral postures than when using a standard keyboard at baseline and at 6 months Hypothesis 3 (H-3) - Subjects 6-months keyboarding postures will remain equivalent to the keyboarding postures documented at baseline.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Pain
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Alternative Keyboard

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 85
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Pennsylvania
    • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, 15260
      • University of Pittsburgh

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Use a computer at least 20 hrs per week
• Aged 18-65
• Experiencing some pain during computer use

Exclusion Criteria:

• Currently use an alternative keyboard
• Serious trauma injury to the upper extremity
• Rheumatic disorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: A; Subject receives typical keyboard first for 6 months and alternative keyboard second for 6 months	Device: Alternative Keyboard; Subjects use either a typical or alternative keyboard; Other Names: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic
Experimental: B; Subject receives alternative keyboard first for 6 months and typical keyboard second for 6 months	Device: Alternative Keyboard; Subjects use either a typical or alternative keyboard; Other Names: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Musculoskeletal Discomfort	Discomfort Survey (WDS) was used to assess symptoms and activity limitations. Participants reported on their work schedule, medication used for pain control, and discomfort in their neck/shoulder, back, and bilateral lower arms (elbows, forearms, wrists, and hands) using an 11-point numerical rating scale (0 = no discomfort/no limitations; 10 = unbearable discomfort/major limitations). We had to dichotomize the data during analysis due to severe skew towards not discomfort (0). Thus the final outcome was discomfort -yes or no	6 months and 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Pittsburgh
• Collaborators: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH/CDC)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: January 1, 2009
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2011
• Study Completion (Actual): August 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 3, 2008
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 3, 2008
• First Posted (Estimate): December 4, 2008

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): August 22, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 6, 2014
• Last Verified: August 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 08030467; R01OH008961 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)