Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of horizontal console position on operator muscular stress during cardiac ultrasonic diagnosis

  • Technical Notes
  • Published:
Journal of Medical Ultrasonics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ultrasound examinations tend to put sonographers in unnatural postures, which may lead to musculoskeletal disorders. In order to address this issue, in this study, we focused on the horizontal position of the console of a diagnostic ultrasound system to quantitatively assess the influence of the work plane position on musculoskeletal stress cardiac ultrasonic diagnosis in the bed-sitting position. Five subjects were asked to simulate a scanning task that involved touching five points on the console, setting the work plane at different positions in the space. Electromyogram of each part of the body indicated that the least stressful position of the left hand was about 350 mm from the center of the trunk in the longitudinal (front-rear) direction and 100 mm left from the center of the trunk in the lateral (left–right) direction. It is necessary to rotate the console in front of the operator for this purpose.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

References

  1. Magnavita N, Bevilacqua L, Mirk P, et al. Work-related musculoskeletal complaints in sonologists. J Occup Environ Med. 1999;41:981–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Judy V, Catherine T. Ergonomic analysis of postural and muscular loads to diagostic sonographer. Int J Ind Ergo. 2007;37:781–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Eleanor R. The causes of musculoskeletal injury amongst sonographers in the UK. Society of radiographers; 2002.

  4. Martin N. Musculoskeletal symptomatology and repetitive strain injuries in diagnostic medical sonographers. J Diagn Med Sonogr. 1996;12:266–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. LoisM W, Shrawan K. An injury profile of practicing diagnostic medical sonographers in Alberta. Int J Ind Ergon. 1997;19:205–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Joan B, Grahame B. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in sonographers. JDMS. 2004;20:85–93.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Suzuki H, Saito T, Shimomura Y, et al. Effects of horizontal console position on operator muscular stress during abdominal ultrasonic diagnosis. J Med Ultrason. 2014;41:155–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Centers for disease control and prevention. Selected topics in surface electromyography for Use in the occupational setting: expert perspective. Atlanta Cent Dis Control Prev. 2004.

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Human rights statements and informed consent statement

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Design Office, Engineering Operation Division, Hitachi Aloka Medical, Ltd., Imai 3-7-19, Ome, Tokyo, 198-8577, Japan

    Hiroyuki Suzuki & Takayoshi Saito

  2. Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan

    Yoshihiro Shimomura & Tetsuo Katsuura

Authors
  1. Hiroyuki Suzuki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takayoshi Saito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yoshihiro Shimomura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tetsuo Katsuura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiroyuki Suzuki.

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Suzuki, H., Saito, T., Shimomura, Y. et al. Effects of horizontal console position on operator muscular stress during cardiac ultrasonic diagnosis. J Med Ultrasonics 42, 499–504 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-015-0639-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-015-0639-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation