Abstract
BackgroundThe human spine is often exposed to mechanical load in vocational activities especially in combination with lifting, carrying and positioning of heavy objects. This also applies in particular to nursing activities with manual patient handling. In the present study a detailed investigation on the load of the lumbar spine during manual patient handling was performed.MethodsFor a total of 13 presumably endangering activities with transferring a patient, the body movements performed by healthcare workers were recorded and the exerted action forces were determined with regard to magnitude, direction and lateral distribution in the time course with a "measuring bed", a "measuring chair" and a "measuring floor". By the application of biomechanical model calculations the load on the lowest intervertebral disc of the lumbar spine (L5-S1) was determined considering the posture and action force data for every manual patient handling.ResultsThe results of the investigations reveal the occurrence of high lumbar load during manual patient handling activities, especially in those cases, where awkward postures of the healthcare worker are combined with high action forces caused by the patient's mass. These findings were compared to suitable issues of corresponding investigations provided in the literature. Furthermore measurement-based characteristic values of lumbar load were derived for the use in statement procedures concerning the disease no. 2108 of the German list of occupational diseases.ConclusionsTo protect healthcare workers from mechanical overload and the risk of developing a disc-related disease, prevention measures should be compiled. Such measures could include the application of "back-fairer" nursing techniques and the use of "technical" and" small aids" to reduce the lumbar load during manual patient handling. Further studies, concerning these aspects, are necessary.
Highlights
The human spine is often exposed to mechanical load in vocational activities especially in combination with lifting, carrying and positioning of heavy objects
Employees which have suffered from an occupational accident or suffer from an occupational disease are rehabilitated by the Statutory Accident and Health Insurances medically, occupationally and socially
In the context of degenerative diseases in the lower-back region, as for example intervertebral disc-related diseases of the lumbar spine caused by long-term lifting or carrying heavy objects or caused by long-term activities in extremely trunk-flexed postures, were enacted in the Occupational Disease Regulation relatively newly as the occupational disease OD 2108 (Berufskrankheit BK 2108) [6]
Summary
The human spine is often exposed to mechanical load in vocational activities especially in combination with lifting, carrying and positioning of heavy objects This applies in particular to nursing activities with manual patient handling. Handling heavy objects increases the risk of low back pain This is a significant problem among nurses [1] because care-activities with manual patient handling may lead to high load on the spine [2,3] and may accelerate the development of. The responsible statutory accident and health insurance institution accomplishes an occupational disease evaluation where criteria for the relationship between a possibly damaging effect of the occupational activity and the diagnosed disease are checked. In the context of degenerative diseases in the lower-back region, as for example intervertebral disc-related diseases of the lumbar spine caused by long-term lifting or carrying heavy objects or caused by long-term activities in extremely trunk-flexed postures, were enacted in the Occupational Disease Regulation relatively newly as the occupational disease OD 2108 (Berufskrankheit BK 2108) [6]
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