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INTRODUÇÃO: O eletrogoniômetro é utilizado em contexto ocupacional para registro dos movimentos do punho. No entanto, diferentes tamanhos de sensores são utilizados, o que pode dificultar a comparação entre os resultados. OBJETIVO: Avaliar dois sensores de tamanho diferentes para verificar o desempenho de ambos em uma amostra com variáveis antropométricas definidas. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Participaram 13 sujeitos (7 mulheres e 6 homens; idade 23 ± 2,6 anos; massa 57 ± 3,8 kg e altura 1,63 ± 4,1 m). Foram utilizados dois sensores com 65 e 110 mm de comprimento (XM65 e XM110, respectivamente) e um dispositivo de aquisição de dados (Datalog, Biometrics). Medidas antropométricas dos participantes foram registradas. Cada indivíduo realizou movimentos de flexão/extensão e desvios ulnar/radial, atingindo amplitude máxima, na posição pronada do antebraço. A ordem de realização dos movimentos e colocação dos sensores foi aleatorizada. Os dados foram analisados descritivamente e estatisticamente (análise multivariada). Foi calculada a variação entre as tentativas (variabilidade intraindividual) e entre os sensores por meio do valor RMS (root mean square). RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença significativa entre os sensores para todos os movimentos. A variabilidade intraindividual máxima foi de 2,2º. Houve diferença significativa entre os gêneros para a flexão e o desvio ulnar, sendo as mulheres as que apresentam valores maiores que os homens. A variabilidade máxima entre os sensores foi de 7,1º. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar de não identificar diferença significante entre os sensores, verificou-se que o sensor XM110 sofria abaulamento durante a extensão. Portanto, para indivíduos com altura até 1,8 m, os dados obtidos pelos diferentes sensores são comparáveis.

Biomechanical load during the handling of commercial (cardboard box with and without cut out) and non-commercial boxes (cardboard box with a retreat on the bottom edges), on experienced compared to inexperienced subjects was evaluated. Thirty-seven inexperienced and 21 experienced workers handled all boxes at shoulder and ground levels. Biomechanical load on upper limb was investigated through posture and electromyography (EMG) recordings. Comfort and effort were assessed immediately after each handling. In general, experienced workers had low range of motion. On the other hand, EMG was similar between both groups, except when non-commercial boxes were handled in non-favourable heights. Comfort was higher when a non-commercial box was handled versus a commercial one, regardless of the group. Both groups had a lower biomechanical load when handling the non-commercial boxes compared to the commercial ones. However, experienced workers did not have the same advantage as inexperienced subjects when handling those new boxes. Practitioner Summary: Box designs favouring intuitive hand coupling and more efficient postures have potential to reduce the risk of upper-limb musculoskeletal disorders in inexperienced subjects. However, ergonomist has to deal with workers on different levels of experience. Results of this study can support the development of effective recommendations for the working context.

Introduction:Handling activities which includes tasks like lifting, loading, pushing and pulling heavy loads have still been used by workers, in general, this activities are characterized for theirs no corporal limits respect; where the overload in the movements herewith theirs duration and intensity may lead to musculoskeletal diseases, which mainly affect the knee joint and thoracolumbar region of the trunk. Objective: This study intends to evaluate the movement strategies of the spine and knee joint of healthy subjects during a load manual handling course verifying the frequency of these strategies and by what they are influenced (handling high and kind of box). Methods: 42 healthy subjects participated in this study, which had to perform a manual box handling task and unload it in three highs: on the level of the floor, on trochanter's measured level and shoulder's measured level. There were utilized four kinds of boxes with variations in: size, material, and presence or not of handles. The conditions (kind of the box and high) were randomized for the subjects. The analysis was made using the unload of the boxes as a reference. Results: the results showed that the characteristics of the boxes (size, material and kind of box, with or without handles) made little influence on the strategies of knee and spine. The principal influence on the posture changes was the difference between the removals and unloads highs. Conclusions: it seems the strategies adopted by the subjects were independent of the characteristics of the load, but dependent of the task demands (i.e., handling high).