A researcher at the U announced he has received the largest-ever grant for the study of preventing carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow.
The $2 million grant from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health was received by Kurt Hegmann, U research associate professor of family and preventive medicine.
The institute is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness.
The grant was applied for by Hegmann in partnership with ergonomics expert Arun Garg of the University of Wisconsin.
Ergonomics is the applied science of equipment design-as for the work place-intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort.
Hegmann and Garg have known each other for 10 years and Garg’s participation in the study improved the chances of receiving the grant, Hegmann said.
Both are co-principal investigators in the study, and researchers at the U and Wisconsin will share the money and work together on the study, Hegmann said.
The researchers will enroll 750 subjects from the two states and observe them at work during the four-year study to see who develops the disorders, as well as watch for any other musculoskeletal disorders.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused when one of the major nerves in the hand becomes compressed inside a “tunnel” in the wrist. This can cause various symptoms including pain, numbness and tingling according to www.yourmedicalsource.com.
Tennis elbow is an inflammation, soreness or pain on the outside of the upper arm near the elbow. The injury is caused by repetitively twisting the wrist or forearm, according to Animated Dissection of Anatomy for Medicine’s Web site (www.adam.com).
One team of researchers, including mechanical engineers from the U, will look at the jobs of the subjects and another team will look at the health of subjects to define occupational risk factors.
Most of the research will be done in Wisconsin, while most of the data analysis will be done in Utah.