ABSTRACT
The goal of this chapter is to present specific ergonomic related research of the computer keyboard
design and how it relates to interventions for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). As part of the
many components of the computer workstation, the keyboard design imposes specific postural and
biomechanical loads on the upper extremity that can be mitigated in part through the geometric
design of the keyboard and the placement of the keyboard within the more global workstation. This
chapter will present both laboratory and epidemiological research examining the relationship
between keyboard design and exposure to biomechanical load and MSD health outcomes. Several lab-
oratory and a couple small-scale epidemiological studies suggest that alternative split keyboards with
specific keyswitch design reduce exposure and sometimes symptoms associated with MSDs disorders of
the upper extremity.