A PILOT STUDY COMPARING SPINAL ANGLES WHEN ADOPTING A SELF SELECTED COMFORTABLE POSITION WITH A STANDARDISED ERGONOMIC POSTURE, SITTING ON A SADDLE CHAIR AND PERFORMING A TYPING TASK

Background There is limited research investigating the effects of the Saddle Chair on spinal angles and it has not been determined if there is a difference between a self –selected comfortable posture (SSCP) and a standardised ergonomic posture (SEP). Purpose of Study Investigate if there is a difference in head tilt (HT); neck angle (NA); cervico-thoracic angle (CTA); thoracic angle (TA); lumbar angle (LA) and pelvic tilt (PT) when sitting on a saddle chair and adopting a SSCP compared with a SEP. Methods Experimental same subject design (n = 13) using healthy subjects conducting a typing task sitting on a Saddle Chair. A standardised introduction was given to the adjustment possibilities of the saddle chair, the hydraulic table, the computer screen and the screen riser. Subjects were asked to adopt a SSCP and to carry out a split-screen typing task. Further standardised instructions were then given and adjustments made to achieve a SEP and the task repeated. Analysis was via digital photographs analysed within MatLab. Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests were conducted for each spinal variable. Results There was only a statistically significant difference in NA and CTA (p ≤ 0.05) when comparing the two postures. The mean neck angle was 3.61° less in the SEP and the mean CTA 1.09° less in the SEP. Conclusion These preliminary finding suggest that in order to adopt a more upright posture in relation to NA and CTA users need to be provided with standardised ergonomic instructions, rather than adopt a SSCP. No Conflict of interest No funding obtained This abstract has not been previously published in whole or substantial part nor has it been presented previously at a national meeting.