Authors: Eline M Meijer Judith K Sluiter Monique H W FringsDresen
Publish Date: 2006/01/06
Volume: 79, Issue: 6, Pages: 445-452
Abstract
Upper extremity musculoskeletal complaints and disorders are frequently reported among visual display units VDU workers These complaints include cold forearms hands or fingers Objective The aim of this systematic review was to gain an insight into the relationship between objective and subjective temperature decrease and musculoskeletal disorders MSDs in the upper extremity in a VDU work environment by internal or external cooling of the arm and hand Two questions were formulated 1 Is a VDU work environment temperature between 15 and 25°C associated with temperature decrease of the arm hand or fingers in healthy subjects 2 Is there a difference in arm hand and finger temperature between patients with upper extremity MSDs and healthy subjects in a VDU work environment Methods Through a systematic literature search in six databases between 1989 and October 2005 327 articles were retrieved and 17 included Results Forearm hand and finger temperature significantly decreases when the ambient temperature between 15 and 25°C decreases The skin temperature in the hand that uses a computer mouse is lower than the other hand in the same ambient temperature At baseline no objective temperature differences are found between patient groups and controls whereas in patients with cold hand complaints lower skin temperatures are found compared to controls The association between temperature changes in the forearm hand or fingers during VDU work and MSDs in the upper extremity is not clear Conclusion There is no consistent evidence available for the association between upper extremity MSDs and temperature changes in forearm hand or fingers in an office work environment
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