[Manual tool grip span and grip force during flower cutting].

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the association between grip span of a manual flower cutting tool and maximum peak force exerted by each finger in the operating hand during apprehension.

METHODS

An experiment was conducted in which 11 women performed the stem cut of a flower. These women did not suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome. Grip span was calculated when they exerted the maximum peak force with each finger.

RESULTS

The main finding of the study reveals that fingers exert the maximum peak force when the grip span values are the same for everyone. However, due to the shape of the tool commonly used in the Colombian flower industry (first order level), each finger reaches its maximum peak force at different times, bypassing the full capacity of each finger's grip force.

CONCLUSION

These findings could be used to improve the mechanical advantage of manual cutting tools to reduce risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome due to overexertion.