Anesthesiology Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Anesthesiology, including details on clinical anesthesiology, evidence based practice, techniques.

Body position affects manual dexterity.

Buffington CW, MacMurdo SD, Ryan CM

Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. BuffingtonCW@anes.upmc.edu

To evaluate the relationship between posture and psychomotor efficiency, 20 anesthesia providers performed a test requiring manual dexterity and eye-hand coordination while seated, kneeling, and standing bent forward at the waist. Performance on the Grooved Pegboard Test improved 6%-10% (P < 0.005) when subjects were seated compared to kneeling and standing bent at the waist, positions that the subjects rated as more painful and less comfortable than sitting. Sitting improved manual dexterity more in subjects with poor scores than it did in subjects with good performance. This study demonstrates improved manual dexterity in subjects seated in a comfortable position.

Published 23 May 2006 in Anesth Analg, 102(6): 1879-83.
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