Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Roda-Sales, Alba
• Vergara, Margarita
• Sancho-Bru, Joaquín L.
• Gracia-Ibáñez, Verónica
• Jarque-Bou, Néstor J.

Titel

Effect of assistive devices on hand and arm posture during activities of daily living

Ist Teil von

• Applied ergonomics, 2019-04, Vol.76, p.64-72

Ort / Verlag

England: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

2019

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Assistive devices (ADs) are products designed to overcome the grip strength and mobility difficulties produced by ageing and different pathologies. Nevertheless, little is known about the postural effect of such devices. This work aims to quantify this effect on the entire upper limb. Ten healthy right-handed subjects performed 13 activities of daily living (ADL) with normal products and 22 ADs and both arm (shoulder, elbow and wrist) and hand (grasp types and contacts) postures were analysed. ADs were found to affect upper limb postures in ADL, reducing the use of precision grasps in the right hand by 31.9% and increasing palm contact by 26% and 29.1% in right and left hands, respectively. Nevertheless, they were also found to increase shoulder flexion, elbow pronation and wrist deviation, which may be a drawback in some pathologies. Results may help in the selection of a suitable AD for enhancing ADL performance depending on the patient's limitations due to a particular pathology. •Assistive devices affect upper limb postures in activities of daily living.•Assistive devices reduce the use of precision grasps in the right hand by 31.9%.•Assistive devices increase palm contact by 26% and 29.1% in right and left hands.•Some devices increase shoulder flexion, elbow pronation and wrist deviation.•Results may help in selecting assistive devices depending on patient's dysfunctions.