Development Of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders Research Articles

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and analysis of working posture using rapid entire body assessment tool amongst the sewing machine operators in a garment industry: a cross sectional study

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are emerging problems and it occurs when there is a mismatch between the physical requirements of the job and the physical capacity of the human body. Study aimed to find out the prevalence of WMSDs, the influence of varied working posture and level of physical activity (PA) for the development of WMSDs amongst the sewing machine operators. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study and conducted in a garment industry at Vapi, Gujrat. By purposive sampling technique, 100 sewing machine operators having minimum one year of experience, in the age group of 18-60 years were recruited with their consent. Örebro Musculoskeletal pain questionnaire (ÖMPQ), Rapid Entire Body Assessment tool (REBA), Quick Exposure Check tool (QEC) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was administered to all the participants. Data was analyzed using SPSS 24 software. Descriptive statistics applied for categorical variables, Spearman Rank correlation coefficient (r) was calculated for the relationship between PA and WMSDs. Results: This study revealed the prevalence of WMSDs as 70% and low back pain was the commonest complaint. REBA demonstrated that 55% of participants were at high musculoskeletal risk and 44% were at very high risk. QEC identified that neck region had very high exposure risk for the development of WMSDs. The level of PA shows no association with WMSDs (r = 0.040, p=0.62). Conclusions: Sewing machine operators of this study adopted a poor working posture which corresponds to the development of high musculoskeletal risk and an increased prevalence of WMSDs.

An ergonomic focus evaluation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders amongst operators in the UAE network control centres

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have rapidly increased during the last decade, but only a few descriptive surveys have been conducted in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study investigated the prevalence of WMSDs and analysed their ergonomic risks amongst operators in the network control rooms across two government organisations, X and Y, in the UAE. Essential data were collected by the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) and the Maastricht Upper Extremity Questionnaire (MUEQ) from online surveys and direct observations based on the Rapid Office Strain Assessment (ROSA) and the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) form and ergonomic measurements for the working environments, respectively. Fifty-three and eighteen operators participated from Organisations X and Y. This study found a high presence of WMSDs in both organisations over the past 12 months. In Organisation X, individual, work-related physical and psychosocial risk factors of high BMI, educational level, morning work shift, high job duration, lack of exercise habit, awkward body posture, high job demand, low job control, and low work social support were associated with WMSDs in different body areas (p < 0.05). In Organisation Y, older age, high BMI, high job duration, lack of exercise habits, unergonomic workstations, awkward body posture, low break time, high job demand, and stress level were associated with WMSDs in different body areas (p < 0.05). The control room operators' most affected body areas were the back, eyes, and neck. Several efficient ergonomic intervention ideas were explored to lessen the detrimental effects of WMSDs and preclude the development of WMSDs amongst the control centre operators.

Pervasiveness of work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders on Indian construction workers

Indian construction involves a large number of organized and unorganized workers. There is always a risk of accidents, injuries and disability due to working in an awful, inconvenient workplace and unfavourable conditions. Construction workers work in static, dynamic and awkward postures throughout the day. The work duration, frequency of working and working technique has led to the development of Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in construction workers in India. The study was conducted to corroborate the feeling of pain in different body parts by construction workers and its association with an individual risk factor, physical risk factors and psychosocial risk factors. Information was collected from four-hundred and sixty-five workers doing various construction works. The statistical analysis (Pearson correlation and Binary Logistic Regression Analysis) was performed to confirm the feeling of pain with individual, physical and psychosocial risk factors. The result shows that there is a significant relationship between pain and working in an awkward posture, age, and years of experience. Workers are exposed to the lower back (72.90%), shoulders (49.68%), arms/hands (47.31%), wrists (30.75%), legs (26.67%), neck (24.09%), fingers/thumbs (23.23%) and knees (16.13%). The result also shows that construction workers work in stressful, painful, tedious conditions and awkward postures. For the development of musculoskeletal disorders, working in an awkward posture, year of experience, doing pervasive jobs, traumatic incidents and age are more responsible for which detailed investigation is required.

Growing pains: strategies for improving ergonomics in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

To evaluate factors contributing to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and review strategies for mitigating ergonomic strain in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. Factors associated with increased ergonomic strain and the development of WMSDs include increasing patient body mass index (BMI), smaller surgeon hand size, noninclusive design of instruments and energy devices and improper positioning of surgical equipment. Each type of minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic, robotic, vaginal) confers its own ergonomic risk to the surgeon. Recommendations have been published regarding optimal ergonomic surgeon and equipment positioning. Intraoperative breaks and stretching are effective in reducing surgeon discomfort. Formal training in ergonomics has not yet been widely implemented, but educational interventions have been effective in reducing surgeon discomfort and can improve surgeon recognition of suboptimal ergonomics. Considering the serious downstream effects of WMSDs on surgeons, it is imperative to implement strategies for WMSD prevention. Optimal positioning of the surgeons and operative equipment should be routine. Intraoperative breaks and stretching should be incorporated during procedures and between every case. Formal education in ergonomics should be provided to surgeons and trainees. Additionally, more inclusive instrument design by industry partners should be prioritized.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders among Dentists in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background and Objectives: A dental environment possesses a serious ergonomic health issue on the dental team members which in turn contributes to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The present research is aimed at evaluating the frequency of musculoskeletal disorders and their associated sociodemographic and work environment risk factors among dentists in the United Arab Emirates. Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a pretested and validated questionnaire was sent via email as well as on different social media platforms to a total of 497 dentists. A total of 179 dentists completed the study survey, with a total response rate of 36%. A binary logistic regression model was conducted to identify significant risk factors associated with WMSDs. Results: Dentists in the United Arab Emirates experience a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (90.4%) which were associated with high levels of stress in the work environment. Furthermore, dentists in the private sector worked more clinical hours per day (p = 0.000) and had more financial stress (p = 0.007) as compared to those in the governmental sector. Gender (p = 0.007), age (p = 0.01), monthly income (p = 0.073), work experience (p = 0.037), number of patients treated per day (p = 0.049), and the use of an ergonomic dental chair (p = 0.005) were all factors associated with a greater number of affected body regions by WMSDs. Multivariate binary logistic regression for the number of regions affected by WMSDs revealed that not using an ergonomic dental chair (OR 2.70, 95% CI, 1.14-6.36) and high stress in the work environment (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.02 to1.67) were associated with more body regions being affected by WMSDs. Conclusions: This study highlights the high prevalence rate of WMSDs among dentists in the UAE. Future research should be directed towards reducing stress in the work environment, increasing awareness regarding the importance of an ergonomic dental chair, and reducing gaps between private and governmental practices.

An automatic procedure to classify biomechanical risk classes associated to lifting activities according to the Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation

In the field of occupational medicine, physical ergonomics studies, aimed at preventing work-related illnesses, have gained importance in recent years since both quantitative/semi-quantitative observational studies and instrumental methods have reported promising results. Among the instrumental methods, wearable devices capable to acquire signals such as acceleration and angular velocity, electromyography (EMG) [1] have potentially proved useful to help assessing – both automatically and more accurately – the work-related risk, which can lead to biomechanical overloading and the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMD), especially in the case of workers involved in activities such as material handling and lifting tasks. In this context, a powerful method to monitor workers biomechanical risk is a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) quantitative formula (RNLE), which considers factors such as intensity, duration and frequency (together with other geometrical characteristics) of a lifting task [2]. The study was carried out enrolling 13 healthy subjects with no signs of musculoskeletal disorder wearing an inertial sensor (Opal, APDM Inc.) on the chest. Each subject performed a session based on two trials. Each trial consisted in 20 consecutive lifting of a plastic container. The first trial was performed in a condition with LI < 1 which corresponds to the No-risk class while the second trial was performed in a condition with LI > 1 which correspond to the Risk class. LI of 0.5 and 1.3 were derived from the RNLE by variously combining height, frequency and weight of lifting tasks. The collected acceleration and angular velocity signals along the three axes were filtered and then segmented to extract the region of interest (ROI) corresponding to the lifting by means of the Savitzky-Golay filter. For each ROI several features in the time and frequency domains were extracted and feed to machine learning algorithms to evaluate the discriminative power of these features to classify risk classes according to the RNLE. Table 1 shows the results of the machine learning (ML) analysis by means of some evaluation metrics using different ML algorithms. The ML analysis was carried out on a dataset composed of 520 instances (13 subject x 40 lifting), 114 features (19 features x 6 axes) and two classes (No-risk, risk). The goal of this research was to develop an automatic procedure - based on algorithms for digital signal processing and ML algorithms fed with appropriate time and frequency domains features extracted from sternum inertial data – able to classify lifting biomechanical risk classes according to the RNLE. The results of the ML analysis, especially Random Forest, showed high scores in evaluation metrics. The presented methodology could represent a valid integration to the conventional protocols used in ergonomics to evaluate the biomechanical risk more quickly and easily. These results are of direct practical relevance for occupational ergonomics, as they present the opportunity for automatic, economic and non-invasive (by placing an IMU on the sternum) detection of the risk associated with lifting. Future investigation on enriched dataset that will involve several scenarios and risk classes could confirm the potentiality of the proposed methodology.

Prevalence, characteristics, contributing factors, work sector, and impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among otorhinolaryngology practitioners in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study.

Otorhinolaryngology practitioners are known to be susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), but the incidence of WMSDs in Saudi Arabia has not been documented. This study aimed to establish the prevalence, characteristics, contributing factors, work sector, and impact of WMSDs among otorhinolaryngology practitioners in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 104 otorhinolaryngology practitioners in Saudi Arabia using a six-component questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, prevalence, percentages, and chi-square tests were used for data analysis. The response rate was 65.3%. The reported 12-month incidence of WMSDs was 72.7%. The neck region (67.3%) was the most common site of disorders, followed by the shoulder (49%). The elbow and hip (10.5%) regions were the least commonly affected regions. WMSD prevalence was related to gender, with men more affected than women (neck, shoulders, low back); age, with younger otorhinolaryngology practitioners more affected than older ones (neck, shoulder); work sector, with greater prevalence in government than other sectors (neck); and sub-specialty, with general otolaryngology reporting the highest WMSD frequency, followed by otology and neurotology (neck, shoulder, low back, upper back, knees). Most otorhinolaryngology practitioners experienced two to four episodes of neck, shoulder, and low-back WMSDs. The most significant risk factor for WMSDs was sustained posture for long periods of time (61.5%). The most common strategy implemented against WMSDs was modifying the practitioner's position during treatment (58.6%). WMSDs among otorhinolaryngology practitioners in Saudi Arabia are very common, with the neck and shoulders regions most often involved. Improved professional skills and an understanding of the principles of ergonomics can prevent the initial development of WMSDs in otorhinolaryngology practitioners.

Effects of multiple risk factors on upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among workers in inner Brazil.

The literature discussing musculoskeletal diseases of inner northeastern workers is scarce, although 67,559 cases were reported in Brazil between 2007 and 2016. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of multiple risk factors that influence the symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in wrists, elbows, and shoulders in workers from four different economic sectors. A sample included 420 workers from the inner regions of the Brazilian states of Alagoas and Bahia. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to capture pain symptoms on both sides of the body (left and right). Sociodemographic variables, items from the biomechanical exposure and organizational conditional, in addition to other questionnaires (JCQ, COPSOQ II, ERI) were used to assess the characteristics and occupational risks of the respondents. Ordinal logistic regression model was using to identify the relationship between symptoms and factors. This study highlights the psychosocial, biomechanical, occupational, and sociodemographic variables contributed to development of WMSDs. Use of hand-vibrating tool increased the likelihood of symptoms manifesting on the body. On the other hand, high job control and high job insecurity reduced the likelihood of developing symptoms. On the other hand, high job control and job satisfaction reduced the likelihood of developing symptoms. Factors such as age, curved spine, high job insecurity and excessive commitment contributed to the development of WMSDs only on one side of the body. The development of WMSDs is multifactorial. Sociodemographic, occupational, biomechanical, and psychosocial factors may commonly contribute to WMSD manifesting only on one side of the body more than on both sides.

A RULA-Based Comparison of the Ergonomic Risk of Typical Working Procedures for Dentists and Dental Assistants of General Dentistry, Endodontology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Orthodontics.

Background: In general, the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) in dentistry is high, and dental assistants (DA) are even more affected than dentists (D). Furthermore, differentiations between the fields of dental specialization (e.g., general dentistry, endodontology, oral and maxillofacial surgery, or orthodontics) are rare. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the ergonomic risk of the aforementioned four fields of dental specialization for D and DA on the one hand, and to compare the ergonomic risk of D and DA within each individual field of dental specialization. Methods: In total, 60 dentists (33 male/27 female) and 60 dental assistants (11 male/49 female) volunteered in this study. The sample was composed of 15 dentists and 15 dental assistants from each of the dental field, in order to represent the fields of dental specialization. In a laboratory setting, all tasks were recorded using an inertial motion capture system. The kinematic data were applied to an automated version of the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Results: The results revealed significantly reduced ergonomic risks in endodontology and orthodontics compared to oral and maxillofacial surgery and general dentistry in DAs, while orthodontics showed a significantly reduced ergonomic risk compared to general dentistry in Ds. Further differences between the fields of dental specialization were found in the right wrist, right lower arm, and left lower arm in DAs and in the neck, right wrist, right lower arm, and left wrist in Ds. The differences between Ds and DAs within a specialist discipline were rather small. Discussion: Independent of whether one works as a D or DA, the percentage of time spent working in higher risk scores is reduced in endodontologists, and especially in orthodontics, compared to general dentists or oral and maxillofacial surgeons. In order to counteract the development of WMSD, early intervention should be made. Consequently, ergonomic training or strength training is recommended.

Ergonomic Issues during Bronchoscopy: A Local Case Study and Review of Literature

Objective. This single-subject case study was done to evaluate the presence and evaluate the risk factors for the development of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) among the staff performing bronchoscopy in the bronchoscopy suite. Methods. A single-subject case study to describe the ergonomic issues in bronchoscopy including identifying multiple factors that can potentially, either singly or in combination, affect physical work capacity. The study focused on the evaluation and control of occupational factors during bronchoscopy to improve awareness of ergonomic issues in bronchoscopy using the following data collection tools: 1) hierarchical task analysis, 2) activity sampling, 3) direct observation of the procedure (walk-around), 5) structured interview of the subject, and 5) utilization of checklists. Results. During the process of bronchoscopy, identified factors that can cause pain in the wrists, fingers, and shoulders include repetitive movement and awkward positions of the hands and wrists coming from the need to move the directional controls and position the bronchoscope. For the back, prolonged standing with awkward postures is a concern. For the neck, the need to look at the monitor which is situated at the side of the patient and frequent shifting of the eyes and head from the monitor to the patient can cause neck pain and stiffness. Aside from the above, other factors would include job stress from the workload, inadequate time for rest and recovery, and the possibility of an uncomfortable environment due to poor air quality. Chronic exposure and repeated injury followed by inflammation and repair lead to structural and biochemical changes in the tissues affected by Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs) leading to the development of WMSDs. Conclusion. Although CTDs do not account for work-related deaths, they do account for a significant amount of human suffering, loss of productivity, and economic burden on the compensation system. Thus, ergonomic concerns must be addressed early to prevent WMSDs/CTDs.

The prevalence, characteristics, and impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among physical therapists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - a cross-sectional study.

Physical therapists are known to be susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), but the prevalence of WMSDs in Saudi Arabia has not been documented. This study aimed to establish the prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors of WMSDs among physical therapists in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 113 physical therapists in Saudi Arabia using a 6-component questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, incidence, percentages, and χ2 test were used for data analysis. The response rate was 68.8%. The reported 12-month incidence of WMSDs was 83.8%. The low back (63.7%) was the most common site of these disorders, followed by the neck (59.2%), while the hip/thigh (4.4%) was the least involved body part. Incidence was related to gender: females were more affected than males (neck, shoulders, low back); age: younger therapists were more affected than older ones (shoulders, low back); working sector: government sector workers were more affected than those employed in other sectors (neck); and specialty: orthopedic specialists were the most frequently affected, followed by those specializing in neurology (thumbs, upper back, knees, ankle/foot). Most of the physical therapists had >5 periods of neck, shoulder, and low-back WMSDs. The most important risk factor for WMSDs was treating more patients in a day (47.7%). The most frequently adopted handling strategy identified to combat WMSDS was modifying the patient's position (62.8%). Overall, WMSDs among physical therapists in Saudi Arabia are common, with the low back and the neck constituting the most frequently affected body regions. Professional experience and the awareness of ergonomics principles can help prevent the early development of WMSDs among physical therapists. Med Pr. 2021;72(4):363-73.

Enhancing Working Posture Comparability in Forest Operations by the Use of Similarity Metrics

Forest operations are well known in exposing their workers to many risk factors, and they often require ergonomic interventions for improvement. In this regard, evaluation of biomechanical exposure has gained a lot of interest due to the concerning scientific results repeatedly showing the association between poor working postures and the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Due to its simplicity, easy understanding, cost affordability, and the capability to evaluate the whole body, the OWAS method has been commonly used in postural evaluation of forestry work, being able to map the experimental observations in a final action category, in the form of a postural risk index (PRI), which helps designing or taking actions for ergonomic improvement. However, postural comparability is both relevant and important when, for instance, one tries to improve a work method or to introduce a new technology. Unfortunately, the PRI metric holds a rather low capability to characterize the changes brought by such factors in terms of postural dissimilarity or similarity, making it difficult to accurately follow the changes. For this reason, we introduce in the postural analysis, test and discuss herein two commonly used similarity metrics as specific to plant sociology and other ecology-related sciences, namely the Sørensen’s quotient of similarity (hereafter QS) and the Canberra metric (hereafter CM); their selection was based on their mathematical capabilities of dealing with data at two resolutions, namely species and individuals. Three case studies were setup to show the differences between QS, CM, and PRI and their usefulness for postural analysis while, for a better understanding, the results were described and discussed by analogy to the living world. As the technology of automating data collection and processing for postural analysis is in progress, the utility of similarity metrics in postural assessment and comparison could be further expanded so as to map a given work sequence in the time domain against best-fit postural profiles. The main conclusion of this study is that the PRI is useful for action-taking while the similarity metrics are useful for pairwise postural change evaluations and comparison.

Cutting force measurement: Hand tool instrumentation used in slaughterhouses - a systematic review.

Workers' intensive use of hand tool cutting in the meat packing industry is a risk factor for occupational health, mainly by mechanical compression of tissues in the upper limbs, which can cause Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). This systematic review aimed to identify the characteristics and measured variables of instrumented knives and determine how they should be designed. The review process and article extractions occurred through an analysis of the (article) titles, keywords and abstracts, followed by reading the full texts by two reviewers independently. Searches were conducted in Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, Ebsco and Engineering Village for articles published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2000 to March 2019, in the English language. The result of (the) search included 1289 potentially eligible studies, with 894 duplicated/triplicated/quadruplicated articles that were excluded, resulting in 404 remaining articles of which 33 were considered eligible, with 36 additional articles, totaling 69 evaluated full texts. After the review, none of the 14 analyzed studies, were rated as having good methodological quality. In addition, four types of instrumented knives were used. Data acquisition was performed in both laboratory and meat processing plants. It is noteworthy that only one knife was submitted to a validation process and that the articles did not provide complete technical information about the knives. The result demonstrated that the cutting force varies within and between subjects, tasks, plants and blade finishings. All knives used some type of electrical connection via cable or wires. Of the articles found, none considered the influences that the workers are subject to when they do not use the same tool daily for data acquisition. Therefore, the development of different types of instrumented knives, with wireless data transmission and more rigorous studies are necessary to expand the knowledge of the cutting force and development of WMSD in slaughterhouse workers who perform meat cutting.

Frequency of examination and perceived contribution of factors relating to work-related musculoskeletal disorders of physiotherapists

Objective. Literature confirms that many physiotherapists suffer from work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), but studies mention different, complementary and contradictory findings regarding risk factors. This scoping review aimed at revealing the most frequently examined and contributory WMSD factors mentioned in recent studies about physiotherapists. Methods. Based on specific inclusion/exclusion and appraisal criteria, 11 studies published between 2012 and 2018 were included in the analysis. The factors recorded per publication were grouped into 18 categories, the frequency of their appearance across the sources was counted and the median ranks of their relative reported contribution were calculated. Results. Excessive workload was found to be the most contributory factor, followed by the application of manual orthopaedic techniques. However, demanding and repetitive manual tasks were the most common factors investigated in the publications reviewed. A medium-strength correlation was found between the frequency of examination and reported contribution of factors but with a noticeable range of the confidence interval possibly due to the diversity of the approaches in the studies reviewed. Conclusions. The findings indicate a relative discordance between the level of contribution of each factor to the development of WMSDs and the types of factors most frequently addressed by studies.

Relation of Work Stressors and Work-related MSDs among Indian Heavy Vehicle Drivers.

Aims:The aim of the study was to identify the relation of work stressors and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) among the heavy vehicle drivers.Methods and Material:The study involved 154 bus drivers and 161 truck drivers of India. A specially designed questionnaire was used to assess the physical and psychosocial work stresses, job diagnostics, driving hazards, physical environment, and WRMSDs.Statistical Analysis Used:The odds ratios (OR) and development percentage of the test measurements were calculated in the descriptive statistics. The binary logistic regression and Pearson correlation test were used for the data analysis.Results:The results of this study showed that the WRMSDs among the truck drivers were higher than those among the bus drivers. The bus drivers were more likely to develop pain in their arms, while the truck drivers were more likely to suffer from neck, shoulders, legs, lower back, and upper back pain. Results from statistical analysis indicated that age, driving hours, physical fatigue, vehicle design, domestic pressure, and growth opportunities had a significant impact on the development of WRMSDs in the bus drivers. While, in the case of truck drivers, it was found that driving hours, tenure, vibration, physical fatigue, mental overload, and job dissatisfaction were significant.Conclusions:The study concludes that the work stressors are associated with different types of MSDs, and the level of MSDs differs significantly between the bus and truck drivers.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in physical therapists attributable to manual therapy

ABSTRACT Background: Use of manual therapy (MT) is a risk factor for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) in physical therapists (PTs) although the current evidence is limited on this topic. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to understand the type, association, and prevalence of WRMDs among practitioners of MT, explore relationships between MT and WRMD, and determine impacts of WRMDs on PTs. Design: Cross-sectional survey design. Methods: A web-based survey was distributed through the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy of the American Physical Therapy Association. The survey gathered information on the respondents’ professional profiles, any WRMDs sustained, and how those injuries affected their professional and personal lives. Results: Overall, 38.5% of PT respondents using MT reported having sustained an MT attributable WRMD. Female respondents reported a greater rate of MT attributable injuries. Although exposure risk is cumulative, novice practitioners are also injured. Limitations: Generalizability of these results may be limited because of the sample size and specific population responding. Conclusion: Over one-third of PT survey respondents reported WRMDs attributable to MT. The results indicated WRMDs may begin early in one’s career and tend to accumulate over years of practice. MT educational programming at all levels warrants emphasis on practitioner safety.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Medical Practitioners in the Hospitals of Al'Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia‏.

IntroductionWork-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have a significant impact on the workplace; they have been growing as a problem in our population, especially among healthcare practitioners. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of the condition, evaluate the WMSDs experienced by practitioners in different specialties in different hospitals in the Al’Qassim region, and study various risk factors that contribute to the development of WMSDs.MethodsAfter gaining the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, a cross-sectional study was conducted among all medical care practitioners at hospitals in the Al’Qassim region. Data were collected using a validated, standardized, and self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the SAS software version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC).Results The study result revealed that out of 382 participants, just over half (209, 54.7%) experienced WMSDs. Among them, 103 (27.54%) were males, and 271 (72.54%) were females. The average age of participants was 31.25 ±6.82 years. Participants with experience of 6-10 years were twice as likely to develop WMSDs compared to participants with fewer years of experience [odds ratio (OR): 2.342; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.062-5.168; p = 0.0350]. There was no significant difference in terms of past medical history between the two groups except for the history of having low back pain, which was more common in participants with WMSDs (77.59% versus 22.41%; p: <0.0001), and neck pain (74.19% versus 25.81%; p = 0.0003). Almost all job risk factors varied significantly between the groups (p: <0.05). Prevalent risk factors included performing the same task over and over again (134, 37.96%), treating an excessive number of patients in one day (127, 35.88%), and working in the same positions (126, 35.8%).ConclusionsBased on this study findings, we can conclude that WMSDs affect a high proportion of healthcare professionals; the female gender and more than six years of experience were found to be major predictors for WMSDs. Pain in the lower back, shoulders, and neck were the most frequently reported musculoskeletal complaints (MSCs). Hence, we recommend the incorporation of musculoskeletal disorder prevention programs in the hospitals' educational programs as they will reduce the rate of WMSDs and ensure the health and well-being of healthcare practitioners.

A systematic review of biomechanical risk factors for the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in surgeons of the head and neck.

Previous studies have shown high rates (47-72%) of self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs) in surgeons of the head and neck. Physical requirements in the workplace, individual factors (e.g. poor posture, obesity) and psychosocial factors have been identified as risk factors. Establishing biomechanical risk factors may help prevent further development of WRMDs in this population. The purpose of this critical review was to source studies that identified the biomechanical risk factors for WRMDs in this surgical sub-specialty. Searches were conducted of Medline, CINAHL, and AMED databases from 1980 until September 2018. A total of 182 article were identified. Exclusion criteria lead to 163 full-text articles being screened, generating a total of 6 articles for review. The aims of the included studies varied significantly. Surgeons spend the majority of operating time in static, asymmetrical positions. Surgical loupes/headlamps significantly increased cervical spine loading. Articulated surgical arm supports provided optimal ergonomic conditions. Performing surgical operations with the surgeon in standing or sitting had no effect on task performance or demand. Physical fatigue was also measured in both positions. A combination of equipment-based and patient/surgeon position-based factors predispose surgeons to biomechanical risk factors. Studies of greater methodological quality are required.

Ergonomic Assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Surface Mine Workers in India

Injuries due to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are not uncommon in heavy industry like mining. Researchers acknowledged that occupational exposure to ergonomic risk factors is the chief causative factor in the development of WMSDs. The aim of this study was to perform an ergonomic assessment of musculoskeletal disorders among surface mine workers in India. Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was used to collect subjective response from 500 workers. A stratified random sampling method according to surface mining work activity type was used to obtain the sample. Data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire, and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze data using descriptive and inferential statistical methods. A response rate of 85% was obtained out of 500 targeted groups. The WMSDs prevalence for the 12-month period was estimated to be 44.23%. The mean and standard deviation of workers’ age were 41.31and 8.927, respectively. The study has shown that the operators of dumpers, dozers, and graders along with electricians were found to be the most susceptible to develop WMSD problems. Among the most affected body parts, back disorder reported the highest. Further, it was found that working with static posture over the longer duration has a significant association with the lower back disorder (with p = 0.020) and bouncing and jarring has also significantly associated with the lower back disorder (with p = 0.023). Similarly, a significant association was found between repetitive work and neck pain (with p = 0.016). The study depicted a significant association between ergonomic hazards and WMSDs, like working with prolonged static posture, bouncing and jarring, and repetitive work.

Physical and mental workload interactions in a sterile processing department

Work in healthcare facilities has been categorized as a high-risk job for developing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). Little attention has been given to the Sterile Processing Department (SPD) employees who are exposed to both mentally and physically demanding conditions, factors that may impose an elevated risk in the development of WMSDs. Previous studies have shown that WMSDs can be a result of complex interactions between physical, psychosocial, biological, and individual characteristics. However, the evidence of specific associations is still inconclusive. The objective of this study was to determine if the perception of mental workload causes workers to adopt more risky body postures. The study was carried out in four phases: 1) identification of musculoskeletal disorders using customized Nordic questionnaires, 2) ergonomic assessment of SPD using REBA method, 3) mental workload assessment of SPD using NASA-TLX, and 4) interaction between physical (postural risk) and mental workload through the performance of a task at two different levels of workload conducted through a controlled experiment. The findings indicate that increases in REBA scores and NASA-TLX indices were associated with days and conditions with higher workloads. Results showed evidence that increments on mental workload are related to worsening postures, increasing the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. These results serve to raise awareness and warn employees about the need to pause and analyze the way they perform their duties under high levels of workload in an attempt to reduce WMSDs risk in healthcare sector employees.