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.