• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.61-65
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• 2015

Objective: The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate sensory disturbance in cervical spondylosis using grip force and investigate the relationship between the grip force and upper extremity function. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Eleven cervical spondylosis patients with paresthesia conducted grip and lift tasks using a precision grip with the tips of the thumb and index finger on either side. The sum of the grip force used during the first four seconds was calculated and defined as the total grip force. The cutaneous pressure threshold of the fingers, the pinch power, the grip power and three subtests of the Simple Test for Evaluating Hand Function (STEF) were also assessed. Correlations between the total grip force and cutaneous pressure threshold, pinch power, grip power, and STEF subtest times were evaluated. Results: We found that the total grip force correlated with the cutaneous pressure threshold (p<0.05). Moreover, the total grip force of the dominant thumb correlated with the results of the three STEF subtests (p<0.05). There were no significant correlations between the total grip force and pinch/grip powers. Conclusions: We found that the total grip force correlated with cutaneous pressure threshold and upper extremity function. The results suggest that the total grip force could serve as an objective index for evaluating paresthesia in cervical spondylosis patients, and that the impaired ability of the upper extremity function is related to grip force coordination.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 2008

Individual finger/total grip forces, and subjective preferences for various individual finger grip spans (i.e., four fingers had identical grip spans or different grip spans) were evaluated by using an "Adjustable Multi-Finger Force Measurement (MFFM) System". In this study, three grip spans were defined as follows: a 'favorite grip span' which is the span with the highest subjective preference; a 'maximum grip span' which is the span with the highest total grip force; a 'maximum finger grip span' which is a set of four grip spans that had maximum finger grip forces associated with the index, middle, ring, and little fingers, respectively. Ten males were recruited from university population for this study. In experiment I, each participant tested the maximum grip force with five grip spans (45 to 65mm) to investigate grip forces and subjective preferences for three types of grip spans. Results showed that subjective preferences for grip spans were not coincidence with the performance of total grip forces. It was noted that the 'favorite grip span' represented the lowest total grip force, whereas the 'maximum finger grip span' showed the lowest subjective preferences. The individual finger forces and the average percentage contribution to the total finger force were also investigated in this study. The findings of this study might be valuable information for designing ergonomics hand-tools to reduce finger/hand stress as well as to improve tool users' preferences and performance.

• International Journal of Contents
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.44-48
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• 2016

Driver fatigue is a major cause of fatal road accidents and has significant implications in road safety. In recent years, researchers have investigated steering wheel grip force as an alternative method to detect driver fatigue noninvasively and in real time. In this study, a fatigue detection system was developed by monitoring the grip force and changes in the grip force were measured while participants' engaged in an interactive simulated driving task. The study also measured the participants' subjective sleepiness to ensure the validity of measuring grip force. The results indicated that while participants engaged in a driving task, steering wheel grip force decreased and subjective sleepiness increased concurrently over time. The possible applications of the driver fatigue detection system by steering wheel grip force and future guidelines are discussed.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.6
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• pp.553-563
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• 2014

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of gender (male, female) and grip spans (45, 50, 60, 70, 80mm) on total grip strength, resultant force, finger force and subjective discomfort rating. Background: In order to prevent musculoskeletal disorders, studies of hand tools need to be preceded based on grip strength, finger force, and subjective discomfort rating. However, experimental apparatus using tools such as pliers that reflect the actual work place was almost non-existent. Method: Fifty-Two (26 males and 26 females) participants were recruited from the student population. In this study, a pair of revised pliers, which can change grip span from 45 to 80mm was applied to estimate total grip strength, resultant force and individual finger forces. All participants were asked to exert a maximum grip force with three repetitions, and to report the subjective discomfort rating for five grip spans of pliers (45, 50, 60, 70, 80mm). Results: There were significant differences of total grip strength, resultant force, individual finger forces and subjective discomfort rating according to grip span. The lowest total grip strength was obtained from the grip span of 80mm for both genders. For resultant force, the highest resultant force was exerted at grip spans of 50, 60 and 70mm for females and 50 and 60mm for males. The lowest subjective discomfort rating was observed in the 50mm for both genders. Conclusion: Based on the result, 50mm and 60mm grip spans which provide the highest force and lowest discomfort rating might be recommendable for the male and female pliers users. Application: The findings of this study can provide guidelines on designing a hand tool to help to reduce hand-related musculoskeletal disorders and obtain better performance.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.27 no.4 s.48
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• pp.763-776
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• 1994

Recent studies reveal that grip forces during the hand-arm vibration are most significant for the genesis of vibration-induced white linger syndrome. Therefore, exerted grip forces and skin temperatures of fingers were regarded as dependent variables in experiments and the effects of grip temperature, noise, pushing force, vibration and the combined effect of vibration and pushing force were studied. The objectives of the present study were, first, to varify and compare the changes of grip force affected by grip temperature, noise, pushing force, vibration and the combined effect of vibration and pushing force and, second, to observe the reaction of finger skin temperature affected by above factors. Forty-six healthy male students ($25.07{\pm}2.85$) participated in five systematically permuted trials, which endured 4 minutes each other. Experiments were executed in a special chamber with an air temperature of 21C. In each experiments, the subjects were exposed to five experiment types: (1) grip force of 25N only, (2) pushing force of 50N, (3) acceleration of vibration $7.1m/sec^2(z-direction)$, (4) pink noise of 95 dB (A) and (5) combination of pushing force 50N and acceleration of vibration $7.1m/sec^2$. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed on the grip force to test whether it was affected by noise, pushing force, vibration and pushing force. The present results show that vibration was significantly related to the increase of grip force, but the other factors, such as pushing force, noise and grip temperature had no signigicant influence on the increase of grip force, and that the reaction of finger skin temperature were significantly affected by the skin temperature at start of experiment and grip temperature, not grip force and other experimental conditions. Therefore, we suggest that the management for decreasing the grip force is meaningful to prevent the occurrence of Hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.59-65
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• 2007

In this study, six grip spans (45mm-65mm) were tested to evaluate the effects of handle grip span and user's hand size on maximum grip strength, individual finger force, and subjective ratings of comfort using a digital dynamometer with individual force sensors. Forty-six males were assigned into three hand size groups according to their hand lengths. Results showed that overall 55mm and 50mm grip spans were the most comfortable sizes and associated with the highest grip strength in the maximum grip force exertions, whereas 65mm grip span was rated as the least comfortable size as well as the lowest grip strength. In the interaction effect of grip span and hand size, small and middle hand sized participants rated the best preference and the least preference grip spans differently with large hand sized participants. With respect to the analysis of individual finger force, the middle finger force was the strongest and the highest contribution to the total finger force, followed by ring, index and little fingers. In addition, it was noted that each finger had a different optimal grip span for exerting maximum force resulting in a bowed contoured shaped handle for two-handle hand tools. Thus, the grip spans for two-handle hand tools might be designed according to the users' hand and finger anthropometrics to maximize performance and subjective perception of comfort.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.413-423
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• 2016

Objective:The aims of this study are to understand the effects of task (pushing, pulling, and clockwise and counter clockwise twisting) direction on the maximal output and their grip forces and to explore the relationship between the maximal output and the grip forces. Background: Knowing the normative maximal grip force is not enough to design a good hand tool. The industrial designers should understand the required grip forces in various motions toward a specific direction to make an effective and efficient hand tool. Method: Eighteen healthy volunteers participated in the series of isometric maximal output force tests. A custom-made force measuring equipment collected the output and the grip forces for three seconds. Force measurements along the vertical, coronal and sagittal axes were randomly repeated three times. Results: The pulling was strongest and the pushing was weakest in all directions. The effect of motion on the output forces varied in different directions. The corresponding grip force increased in the order of pushing, pulling, clockwise twisting, and counter clockwise twisting in all directions. The maximal output and their grip forces were highly correlated but the relationship was affected by motion and direction. The regression coefficient was greatest in pulling and smallest in clockwise twisting. Conclusion: The effect of motion on the output forces varied in different directions. The maximal output and their grip forces were correlated but the relationship was affected by motion and direction. Application: Findings of this study can be valuable information for industrial designers to develop more productive hand tools and work stations to help preventing the musculoskeletal disorders at work.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.27-34
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to evaluate aging (young and old), gender (male and female), and handle shape effects on grip force, finger force, and subjective comfort. Four handle shapes of A, D, I, and V were implemented by a multi-finger force measurement (MFFM) system which was developed to measure every finger force with different grip spans. Forty young (20 males and 20 females) and forty old (20 males and 20 females) subjects participated in twelve gripping tasks and rated their comfort for all handles using a 5-point scale. Grip forces were calculating by summation of all four forces of the index, middle, ring and little fingers. Results showed that young males (283.2N) had larger gripping force than old males (235.6N), while young females (151.4N) had lower force than old females (153.6N). Young subjects exerted the largest gripping force with D-shape due to large contribution of the index and middle fingers and the smallest with A-shape; however, old subjects exerted the largest with I-shape and the smallest with V-shape due to small contribution of the ring and little fingers. As expected, the middle finger had the largest finger force and the little finger had the smallest. The fraction of contribution of index and ring fingers to grip force differed among age groups. Interestingly, young subjects provided larger index finger force than ring finger force, whereas old subjects showed that larger ring finger forces than index finger force in the griping tasks. In the relationship between performance and subjective comfort, I-shape exerting the largest grip force had less comfort than D-shape producing the second largest grip force. The findings of this study can provide guidelines on designing hand tool handle to obtain better performance as well as users' comfort.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.511-516
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• 2013

Objective: The objective of this study is designing an optimal hand tool through maximum grip force study accordance to the hand grip span. Background: In order to prevent musculoskeletal diseases, studies on hand tool design are proceeding based on grip strength, finger force, and contribution of individual finger force on total grip strength. However, experimental apparatus using a tool that is actually used in work place was almost non-existent. Method: 19 males were participated in an experiment. Using the load cell inserted real plier, finger force, grip strength, and subjective discomfort rate of both hands (dominant and non-dominant) were measured in 5 different hand grip span(45mm, 50mm, 60mm, 70mm, and 80mm). Results: There was significant difference(p<0.001) of total grip strength, individual finger force and subjective discomfort rating according to various hand grip span(45, 50, 60, 70, and 80mm). Also, statistically significant different(p<0.001) was shown between the dominant hand and non-dominant hand. In addition, individual finger force in maximum grip was in order of middle finger, ring finger, index finger, and little finger. Conclusion: Optimal grip span of pliers that exerting maximum grip strength is 50~60mm. Application: This finding is expected to be used for designing proper pliers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.503-509
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• 2013

Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the individual finger force between dominant hand and non-dominant hand and to investigate an effect of the individual finger on the total grip strength depending on dominant hand and non-dominant hand. Background: Many studies on the ratio of the grip force between dominant hand and non-dominant hand has been researched. While a 10% rule which is a ratio of the grip force between dominant hand and non-dominant hand has been applied in most studies, studies on the rate of the individual finger force between dominant hand and non-dominant hand have been insufficiently researched. Method: The experiment was preceded with 17 subjects (male, mean 25.8 ages). The individual finger force and total grip strength were measured using pliers being able to change the grip span from 45 to 80mm. Results: The difference of total grip strength between dominant hand and non-dominant hand is following 10% rule. However, the difference of individual finger force between dominant hand and non-dominant hand are not same as the difference of total grip strength. Especially in the case of grip span with 50mm, the differences between total grip strength, index finger, middle finger, ring finger, and little finger were $9.87{\pm}14.80%$, $8.95{\pm}37.17%$, $13.71{\pm}28.27%$, $6.77{\pm}24.35%$, $39.29{\pm}42.46%$, respectively, with p=0.018 of statistical significance. Additionally, the results of regression analysis in 50 and 60mm of grip span showed that the difference in ring finger affected the most to the total grip strength; and the effects followed in order of index finger, middle finger, and little finger. Conclusion: Our study suggests that an effect of individual finger and grip span of pliers have to be considered when explaining the difference of the total grip strength between dominant hand and non-dominant hand. Application: This result is expected to be used for designing ergonomic hand tool.