The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

Acute effects of force and vibration on finger blood flow

Acute effects of force and vibration on finger blood flow
Acute effects of force and vibration on finger blood flow
Objectives: To investigate the effects of contact force at the finger on acute changes in finger circulation during exposure to vibration.
Methods: Each of 10 subjects attended 11 sessions in which they experienced five successive experimental 5-minute periods: (i) no force and no vibration; (ii) force and no vibration; (iii) force and vibration; (iv) force and no vibration; (v) no force and no vibration. During periods (ii) to (iv), the intermediate phalanx of the right middle finger applied one of two forces (2 N or 5 N) on a platform that vibrated during period (iii) at one of two frequencies: 31.5 Hz (at 4 or 16 ms–2 r.m.s.) or 125 Hz (at 16 or 64 ms–2 r.m.s.). Finger blood flow was measured in the exposed right middle finger, the unexposed right little finger, and the unexposed left middle fingers throughout the 25 minutes of each session.
Results: The application of force alone caused a reduction in finger blood flow in the exposed finger, but not other fingers. There were additional reductions in finger blood flow caused by vibration, with greater reductions at the higher vibration magnitudes at both frequencies but no difference between the two frequencies when using unweighted acceleration. The vibration caused a similar vasoconstriction in vibrated and non-vibrated fingers.
Conclusions: Modest levels of force applied by a finger can have a large effect on the finger blood flow, possibly due to the constriction of local blood vessels. The acute vascular effects of vibration cause additional reductions in finger blood flow that are not limited to the finger experiencing force and vibration. In all fingers (exposed and not exposed to vibration), the greater the magnitude of vibration, the greater the reduction in finger blood flow. In all fingers (exposed and not exposed to vibration), when the vibration was frequency weighted according to current standards, 125 Hz vibration caused greater reductions in finger blood flow than 31.5 Hz vibration.
1351-0711
84-91
Bovenzi, M.
47528879-9888-4068-b988-9786ff263bb1
Welsh, A.J.L.
33dc548e-1380-4076-a2ca-9a7557ba7114
Della Vedova, A.
65ef7895-4268-4247-8b75-a25147c55315
Griffin, M.J.
24112494-9774-40cb-91b7-5b4afe3c41b8
Bovenzi, M.
47528879-9888-4068-b988-9786ff263bb1
Welsh, A.J.L.
33dc548e-1380-4076-a2ca-9a7557ba7114
Della Vedova, A.
65ef7895-4268-4247-8b75-a25147c55315
Griffin, M.J.
24112494-9774-40cb-91b7-5b4afe3c41b8

Bovenzi, M., Welsh, A.J.L., Della Vedova, A. and Griffin, M.J. (2006) Acute effects of force and vibration on finger blood flow. Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 63 (2), 84-91. (doi:10.1136/oem.2004.019703).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the effects of contact force at the finger on acute changes in finger circulation during exposure to vibration.
Methods: Each of 10 subjects attended 11 sessions in which they experienced five successive experimental 5-minute periods: (i) no force and no vibration; (ii) force and no vibration; (iii) force and vibration; (iv) force and no vibration; (v) no force and no vibration. During periods (ii) to (iv), the intermediate phalanx of the right middle finger applied one of two forces (2 N or 5 N) on a platform that vibrated during period (iii) at one of two frequencies: 31.5 Hz (at 4 or 16 ms–2 r.m.s.) or 125 Hz (at 16 or 64 ms–2 r.m.s.). Finger blood flow was measured in the exposed right middle finger, the unexposed right little finger, and the unexposed left middle fingers throughout the 25 minutes of each session.
Results: The application of force alone caused a reduction in finger blood flow in the exposed finger, but not other fingers. There were additional reductions in finger blood flow caused by vibration, with greater reductions at the higher vibration magnitudes at both frequencies but no difference between the two frequencies when using unweighted acceleration. The vibration caused a similar vasoconstriction in vibrated and non-vibrated fingers.
Conclusions: Modest levels of force applied by a finger can have a large effect on the finger blood flow, possibly due to the constriction of local blood vessels. The acute vascular effects of vibration cause additional reductions in finger blood flow that are not limited to the finger experiencing force and vibration. In all fingers (exposed and not exposed to vibration), the greater the magnitude of vibration, the greater the reduction in finger blood flow. In all fingers (exposed and not exposed to vibration), when the vibration was frequency weighted according to current standards, 125 Hz vibration caused greater reductions in finger blood flow than 31.5 Hz vibration.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: February 2006
Organisations: Human Sciences Group

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 39174
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/39174
ISSN: 1351-0711
PURE UUID: 76592928-8d2d-4c02-91b4-8ac41097b71d
ORCID for M.J. Griffin: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0743-9502

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 21 Jun 2006
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 08:11

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: M. Bovenzi
Author: A.J.L. Welsh
Author: A. Della Vedova
Author: M.J. Griffin ORCID iD

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×