Range of motion required for Auslan: a biomechanical analysis

David J Graham; Luke McCarron; Teresa Phillips; Brahman Sivakumar

doi:10.1111/ans.18542

Range of motion required for Auslan: a biomechanical analysis

ANZ J Surg. 2023 Jul-Aug;93(7-8):1930-1934. doi: 10.1111/ans.18542. Epub 2023 Jun 21.

Authors

David J Graham^{1

2

3

4

5}, Luke McCarron^{1

6}, Teresa Phillips⁵, Brahman Sivakumar^{2

7

8

9

10}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Musculoskeletal Services, Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
² Australian Research Collaboration on Hands (ARCH), Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
³ Griffith University School of Medicine and Dentistry, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
⁴ University of Queensland School of Medicine, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁵ Department of Orthopaedics, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
⁶ Occupational Therapy Department, Bond University, Bond Institute of Health and Sport, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
⁷ Department of Hand and Peripheral Nerve Surgery, Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁸ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
⁹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Nepean Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁰ Discipline of Surgery, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

PMID: 37341153
DOI: 10.1111/ans.18542

Abstract

Background: Auslan is used by the Australian deaf community and relies heavily on hand, wrist, and elbow movement. Upper limb injury or dysfunction may require surgical intervention to alleviate pain and provide a stable skeleton for function, leading to partial or complete reduction in motion. The aim of this study was to assess the wrist, forearm, and elbow motion required to communicate via Auslan, to tailor optimal interventions in this population.

Methods: A biomechanical analysis was conducted on two native Auslan communicators, who signed 28 pre-selected and common Auslan words and phrases.

Results: Sagittal plane wrist and elbow motion was found to be of greater importance than axial plane forearm rotation. Relative elbow flexion and generous wrist motion was common for many of the words and phrases, while end-range elbow extension was not recorded.

Conclusion: The maintenance of wrist and elbow motion should be prioritized when selecting surgical interventions for patients who communicate using Auslan.

Keywords: Auslan; biomechanical analysis; orthopaedics; sign language; upper limb.