Analysis of the risk factors of musculoskeletal disease among dentists induced by work posture

Abstract

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to ergonomically evaluate the work posture of dentists to examine their subsequent risk of developing musculoskeletal diseases. [Subjects and Methods] Scenes in which the three dentists performed procedures at their dental clinics were videotaped. The videotapes of the dentists’ work postures were evaluated and analyzed by using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) and Quick Exposure Check (QEC). [Results] The RULA analysis of the dentists’ work posture indicated, “improvement required” in the posture used to treat the anterior and “instant improvement required” in the posture used to treat the maxillary second molar. Of all the work postures studied, the risk was considered particularly high in the lower back and neck, implying prominent problems in these body parts. The QEC analysis showed that the worst work posture was that required to treat the maxillary second molar, which led to a high risk of neck problems and vibrations. [Conclusion] The neck area has the highest risk of developing musculoskeletal disease. Hence, regular rests and the provision of information regarding muscle strengthening exercise for the neck are necessary.

Perception of dental students on risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders

“…The presence of pain or discomfort in the previous 12 months was high, mainly in the neck, lower back and shoulders, which is consistent with other studies . The high prevalence of symptoms mainly in the upper body is related to muscle fatigue due to unusual static postures during patient care which compress the blood vessels and decrease the oxygen supply .…”

“…It is known that there are several risk factors associated with the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in dental professionals [2][3][4]27 and that the first symptoms may appear even during their training phase. 1,3,5,8,9,[11][12][13] Based on our knowledge, this is the first survey applied to dental students in the United States to assess the influence of gender, academic level and the presence of pain/discomfort on their perception regarding risk factors that may contribute to musculoskeletal disorders.…”

“…28 The presence of pain or discomfort in the previous 12 months was high, mainly in the neck, lower back and shoulders, which is consistent with other studies. 3,5,27,29 The high prevalence of symptoms mainly in the upper body is related to muscle fatigue due to unusual static postures during patient care which compress the blood vessels and decrease the oxygen supply. 3,27 The lower back pain may be the result of muscle imbalance caused by repeated unilateral twists, inadequate lumbar support for long work periods or non-ergonomic dental stool design.…”

Ergonomics study and analysis of workstations in Tunisian mechanical manufacturing

“…It should be noted that an agreement between the authors concerning the working method and the layout of the workstations has not been established (Cimino, Longo, & Mirabelli, ). Moreover, it was difficult to agree on the comparability and the relation between the effort evaluated by the quantified means (electromyography) and the psychophysical means (Borg scale; Dockrell et al., ; Hignetta & McAtamney, ; McAtamney & Nigel Corlett, ; Park, Kim, Roh, & Namkoong, ). Few available studies obtained concluding results using multiple assessment methods in the same worker population (Bao, Howard, Spieholz, & Silverstein, , ; Drinkaus et al., ).…”

Restricted posture in dentistry – a kinematic analysis of orthodontists

“…Previous studies used RULA (rapid upper limb assessment), for instance, to measure static postures in dentists [31, 32]. RULA serves to evaluate risk factors for job-related musculoskeletal disorders in the upper limbs.…”