An interventional study of Alternative Keyboard in Pain, sponsored by University of Pittsburgh. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-08-22.
Sponsored by University of Pittsburgh · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
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.
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Exclusion Criteria:
Subject receives typical keyboard first for 6 months and alternative keyboard second for 6 months
Device: Alternative Keyboard
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
Also known as: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic
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
Time frame: 6 months and 12 months
| Milestone | Group A (Typical/Alternative) | Group B (Alternative/Typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Started | 44 | 41 |
| Completed | 40 | 33 |
| Not completed | 4 | 8 |
| Withdrew: Lost to follow-up | 2 | 0 |
| Withdrew: Withdrawal by subject | 2 | 8 |
| Milestone | Group A (Typical/Alternative) | Group B (Alternative/Typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Started | 40 | 33 |
| Completed | 38 | 32 |
| Not completed | 2 | 1 |
| Withdrew: Withdrawal by subject | 2 | 1 |
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
| percentage of subjects with MSD | Typical Keyboard | Alternative Keyboard |
|---|---|---|
| Musculoskeletal Discomfort | 20 | 20 |
Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.
| Group | Deaths | Serious | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical Keyboard | — | 0/85 (0%) | 0/85 (0%) |
| Alternative Keyboard | — | 0/85 (0%) | 0/85 (0%) |
GEE analyses allows a subjects inclusion even if they did not complete the full trial. Although we had a total of 15 subjects not complete the full trial we had sufficient data on 77 subjects to complete the GEE statistical analyses. With the crossover design we compared 77 subjects using the standard keyboard to 77 subjects using the alternative
| Age, Continuous(years) | Group A | Group B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | 43.3 ± 12.9 | 45.6 ± 11.9 | 44.4 ± 12.4 |
| Sex: Female, Male(Participants) | Group A | Group B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 36 | 35 | 71 |
| Male | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants) | Group A | Group B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asian | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Black or African American | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| White | 36 | 31 | 67 |
| More than one race | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown or Not Reported | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants) | Group A | Group B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 39 | 37 | 76 |
| Unknown or Not Reported | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Region of Enrollment(participants) | Group A | Group B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 40 | 37 | 77 |
| Avg Computer Use(hrs/day) | Group A | Group B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean | 6.3 ± 1.1 | 6.1 ± 1.5 | 6.2 ± 1.3 |
| Typing Speed(participants) | Group A | Group B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slow | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Moderately Fast | 16 | 14 | 30 |
| Fast | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| Don't know | 6 | 8 | 14 |
| Baseline Discomfort(participants) | Group A | Group B | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neck (Yes) | 36 | 36 | 72 |
| Back (Yes) | 33 | 33 | 66 |
| Right arm hand (Yes) | 33 | 36 | 69 |
| Left Arm hand (Yes) | 22 | 24 | 46 |
This study is completed, as verified in Aug 2014. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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