Architecture Development of Wrist Range-of-Motion (ROM) System to Assess and Monitor Wrist Postural Behaviours at Workplace: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

Poor wrist postures due to work requirements is one of the established risk factors contributing to the development of workrelated musculoskeletal disorders. This study systematically investigates the underlying hypothesis that identification and monitoring of poor wrist postures at work should be in the function of normalized wrist range-of-motion (ROM) instead of the traditional measurement of absolute wrist angle. This three-stage study looks into 1) existing issues related to current workplace wrist postural assessment methods, 2) development of a new architecture to assess and monitor wrist posture at work, and 3) qualitative review with ergonomics practitioners on the architecture. The first stage utilizes literature review and interview with ergonomics practitioners. Generative collaboration method was used to generate the architecture for the second stage. The third stage employs semi-structured interview with ergonomics practitioners. Several issues were identified in current wrist postural assessment methods. A conceptual architecture of the Wrist ROM System to assess and monitor wrist postural behaviors at workplace is proposed in this manuscript. The architecture was generally well received by the practitioners. The architecture provides the groundwork in the development of a technological system designed as a tool to analyze workplace wrist postural behaviors.