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.