Can Teaching Ultrasound Ergonomics to Ultrasound Practitioners Reduce White Knuckles and Transducer Grip Force?

Abstract

Ergonomic training is necessary to help reduce work-related upper limb disorders (WRULD) in sonographers. This study provided an ergonomic training session for sonographers, to determine whether a teaching intervention changed the grip force used to hold a transducer. Thirteen practitioners participated and were placed into two groups (intervention group n = 7). Participants were asked to scan the same simulated transabdominal early pregnancy case. An ergometer was used, which enabled all participants to hear the effect of holding the transducer tightly. Their matched grip force was measured before and after the intervention using a dynamometer. The intervention group reviewed videos and photographs taken during the scan to see if this affected the matched grip force further. Study findings showed that the short ergonomic training session with the use of an ergometer significantly reduced the matched grip force applied to a transducer (P < .05) for all participants. The video/photo review did not result in any further significant changes.

Letter to the Editor: Can Teaching Ultrasound Ergonomics to Ultrasound Practitioners Reduce White Knuckles and Transducer Grip Force? By Harrison, Harrris, and Flinton

“…We note the article “Can Teaching Ultrasound Ergonomics to Ultrasound Practitioners Reduce White Knuckles and Transducer Grip Force?” by Harrison et al 1 was very well written. The authors’ keen interest in raising awareness of the potential increase in work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) harm in diagnostic medical sonography (DMS) practice is applauded.…”

Investigating Transducer–Tissue Interface Pressure for Soft Tissue Stress–Strain Behavior and the Effects on Echoic Intensities in Ultrasound Imaging of Periodontium

“…Force sensors have been employed to investigate sonographer's grip force of holding the transducer for the ergonomic purpose [ 24 ] ; however, the study did not probe the effect of pressure on the deformation of the tissue and the echo intensity. Hence, using force sensors to monitor the contact pressure between the transducer and soft tissues may be an alternate approach.…”