Thesis defense Alessia Longo (Donders series 348)

30 October  2018

Promotors; prof. dr. R. Meulenbroek, prof. dr. P. Federolf (University Innsbruck)

VARIATION IN REPETITIVE UPPER BODY MOTIONS: novel assessment techniques and implications for work-related injuries

Frequently adopting postural variations and using diverse movement strategies when performing repetitive motor tasks in monotonous working conditions might be beneficial for the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The aim of this thesis was to gain insight into the role of movement variability in occupational settings using a sustained and repetitive task which intends to simulate a computer-related activity. Volunteers’ upper-body 3D kinematics were collected and the variability related to postural changes were determined through a principal component analysis-based procedure. The results of this thesis show that movement variability is affected by pain and several work-related factors, such as time-on-task, cognitive load and precision demands. Therefore, variation in repetitive motions needs to be considered when assessing risks for MSDs. Further, the methodological approach used proved that principal component analysis is a useful tool for the analysis of variability which facilitates the analysis of changes in body postures, which are not possible to deduce when assessing variability on the basis of single kinematic variables.