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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
Measurement of the Hand Transmitted Vibration of the Human Hand Arm System During Operation of a Hand Tractor
Published on: June 16, 2021
A prospective cohort study of manipulative dexterity in vibration-exposed workers
Francesca Rui1, Flavia D'Agostin, Corrado Negro
1Department of Public Health Sciences, Clinical Unit of Occupational Medicine, University of Trieste, Centro Tumori, Trieste, Italy. frui@units.it
Objectives:
To investigate the relation between manipulative dexterity and vibration exposure, ergonomic risk factors, and upper limb disorders in a group of workers exposed to hand-transmitted vibration (HTV).
Methods:
Manipulative dexterity was investigated on 115 HTV workers (82 forestry workers and 33 stone workers) and 64 control men over 1-year follow-up period. The Purdue pegboard method was used to test manipulative dexterity which was scored for the dominant hand, non-dominant hand, and both hands. Information about individual, work and health history was obtained by means of a standardised questionnaire. Vibration exposure was assessed in terms of tool vibration magnitudes, daily and total exposure duration, and cumulative vibration dose.
Results:
On the cross-sectional investigation, Purdue pegboard scores were significantly lower in the HTV workers than in the controls (0.001 < P < 0.05). Over 1-year follow-up period, Purdue pegboard scores were found to be inversely related to age, smoking and use of vibratory tools (0.001 < P < 0.05). Moreover, deterioration of some measures of manipulative dexterity was significantly associated with sensorineural and vascular symptoms in the fingers of the HTV workers. Random-intercept linear regression analysis showed that Purdue pegboard scores decreased with the increase of vibration exposure. The reduction of assembly score (i.e. number of pins, collars, and washers assembled in a 60-s period) was significantly associated with the increase in vibration exposure and ergonomic stress (neck-upper arm posture, hand-intensive work, and total ergonomic score). Purdue pegboard scores tended to improve over the follow-up period in both the controls and the HTV workers, suggesting a possible learning effect over time.
Conclusion:
The findings of this longitudinal study suggest an association between deterioration of manipulative dexterity and neurovascular symptoms in the fingers of HTV workers. There was evidence for a significant relation between loss of precise manipulation and exposures to hand-transmitted vibration and ergonomic risk factors.
