Home▸Carpal Tunnel Syndrome▸Ergonomic Workstation Risk Factor Simulator

✋ Ergonomic Workstation Risk Factor Simulator

This simulator evaluates ergonomic risk factors such as wrist position during keyboard work, vibration, and repetitive motions that contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome2DModerate60 FPS

Wrist Extension and Keyboard Posture

Extended wrist angles compress the carpal tunnel during typing.

0-5°: Neutral angle (lowest tunnel pressure)
>30°: High-risk angle (marked pressure rise)
Ulnar/radial: Deviation risk (adds to extension load)
Elbow level: Keyboard height (key neutral factor)

Posture and tunnel pressure

Placeholder: wrist extension raises intracarpal pressure during keyboard use.

Repetitive Motion Accumulation

Repeated flexion-extension cycles accumulate tendon and nerve stress.

~10,000: Keystrokes/hr (typical data entry)
Cumulative: Cycle risk (microtrauma builds)
Microbreaks: Recovery need (every 20-30 min)
>4 h/day: Task duration (threshold of concern)

Repetition and cumulative load

Placeholder: repetitive motion accumulates strain across the shift.

Vibration Exposure Factor

Hand-arm vibration from power tools compounds nerve compression risk.

2.5 m/s²: Exposure limit (daily action value)
Power tools: Tool type (grinders, drills)
Synergistic: Added risk (with posture/repetition)
Anti-vibration gloves: Damping (partial mitigation)

Vibration and nerve stress

Placeholder: vibration exposure adds to median nerve irritation.

Workstation Setup Optimization

Proper desk and keyboard configuration restores neutral wrist posture.

Adjustable: Keyboard tray (sets elbow angle)
Padded: Wrist rest (reduces extension)
Eye level: Monitor height (reduces compensations)
Armrests: Chair support (shares load)

Optimizing the workstation

Placeholder: ergonomic setup lowers sustained wrist extension.

Cumulative Risk Over the Workday

Risk factors compound hour by hour across a full shift.

8 h: Shift length (standard workday)
Rising: Risk curve (without breaks)
Resets partial load: Break effect (per recovery period)
CTS risk: Long-term outcome (from sustained exposure)

Daily accumulation of risk

Placeholder: cumulative exposure across the workday drives CTS risk.

Placeholder: reducing angle and hours lowers cumulative CTS risk.

⚙ Under the hood

This simulator evaluates ergonomic risk factors such as wrist position during keyboard work, vibration, and repetitive motions that contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.

CanvasBiomedicine

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install