Kinematic analysis of work-related musculoskeletal loading of trunk among dentists in Germany

Abstract

BackgroundIn Germany, about 86.7 % of the dentists have stated to suffer from pain in the neck and shoulder region. These findings are predominantly based on surveys. Therefore the objective of this study is to conduct a kinematic analysis of occupational posture in dentistry.MethodsTwenty one dentists (11 f/10 m; age: 40.1 ± 10.4 years) have participated in this examination. The CUELA-System was used to collect kinematic data of the activities on an average dental workday. A detailed, computer-based task analysis took place parallel to the kinematic examination. Through the synchronization of data collected from both measurements, patterns of posture were arranged chronologically and in conjunction with the tasks performed: (I) “treatment” (II) “office” and (III) “other activities”. For the data analysis, characteristic data of joint angular distributions (percentiles P05, P25, P50, P75 and P95) of head, neck and torso at pre-defined tasks were examined and assessed corresponding to ergonomic standards.ResultsForty one percent of tasks executed on an average dental workday can be categorized as the treatment of patients. These tasked are most frequently performed in “straight back” positions (78.7 %), whereas 20.1 % were carried out in a “twisted or inclined” torso posture, 1.1 % “bowed” and only 0.1 % “bowed and twisted/inclined to the side” upper body position. In particular, it can be observed that in the area of the cervical and thoracic spine the 75th and 95th percentile show worse angular values during treatment than during non-dental tasks. For the period of treatment (at a standardized dental chair construction), a seated position with a strong inclination of the thoracic spine to the right while the lumbar spine is inclined towards the left is adopted.ConclusionThe kinematic analysis of dentists illustrates typical patterns of postures during tasks that are essential to the dental treatment of patients. The postures in the area of the cervical and thoracic spine have higher angular values during treatment compared to other dental tasks. Consistently, appropriate ergonomic design measures to optimize the dental chair and equipment as well as integrated training in ergonomics as part of the study of dentistry to prevent musculoskeletal are recommended.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12891-016-1288-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The role of ergonomic saddle seats and magnification loupes in the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. A systematic review

“…Use of objective measures would reduce the risk of detection bias. An example of kinematic analysis is the CUELA (computer‐assisted acquisition and long‐term analysis of musculoskeletal loads) system . The CUELA system uses sensors to record and analyse body postures and it has been used in dental studies to measure the posture of dentists during their normal working day .…”

“…An example of kinematic analysis is the CUELA (computer‐assisted acquisition and long‐term analysis of musculoskeletal loads) system . The CUELA system uses sensors to record and analyse body postures and it has been used in dental studies to measure the posture of dentists during their normal working day . In addition, a physical examination of the participants by a blinded registered physiotherapist, as done by Hayes et al to assess the extent and severity of any musculoskeletal disabilities and disorders will complement the reporting of these studies .…”

Prevalence of Muscular Skeletal Disorders among Qualified Dental Assistants

“…Furthermore, specific medical conditions, which can be associated with the physical demands of an occupation in dental healthcare, were queried [1,16,[42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. The data include questions about chronic inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatism and osteoarthritis; carpal and cubital tunnel syndromes; cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine syndromes; tendovaginitis; flexor tendovaginitis; and disc prolapse.…”

“…The physical demand on dental healthcare professionals is high since their working area-the patient's mouth-is small and narrow and treating patients requires long static seated postures and repetitive work of the arms [1,2]. Lietz et al [3] identified numerous risk factors for the physical well-being of dental healthcare professionals in Western countries like vibrating instruments, working specifically the DAs are prone to experience work-related symptoms.…”

Incapacidade gerada pela dor osteomuscular em aluno de Odontologia

“…A prática odontológica é uma profissão de alto risco e todos os anos, um grande número de dentistas é acometido por distúrbios musculoesqueléticos relacionados ao trabalho 10 . Essas lesões podem ser ocasionadas pela dificuldade em estabelecer um equilíbrio postural para desempenhar suas funções durante longas horas de trabalho e em posições estáticas, além disso, a falta de intervalos e os movimentos recorrentes e repetitivos também agravam a situação 9,11 .…”