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Physical workload in neck, shoulders and wrists/hands in dental hygienists during a work-day.

Åkesson, Ingrid LU ; Balogh, Istvan LU and Hansson, Gert-Åke LU (2012) In Applied Ergonomics 43(4). p.803-811
Abstract
Physical workload was recorded by electromyography, inclinometry and goniometry for twelve female dental hygienists during authentic work. Their work was, in relation to other types of work, characterised by pronounced head flexion (90th percentile 46°), high loads on the forearm extensor muscles (90th percentile 23% and 18% of maximal EMG (MVE), for the right and left sides, respectively), average loads on trapezius muscles (90th percentile 15% and 14% MVE), average arm elevation (99th percentile 83° and 72°) and average wrist flexion and velocities (50th percentiles 17° of extension and 7.3°/s, for the right side). Manual scaling and machinery (use of ultrasonic scaling and hand-pieces) showed higher loads on the trapezius muscles,... (More)
Physical workload was recorded by electromyography, inclinometry and goniometry for twelve female dental hygienists during authentic work. Their work was, in relation to other types of work, characterised by pronounced head flexion (90th percentile 46°), high loads on the forearm extensor muscles (90th percentile 23% and 18% of maximal EMG (MVE), for the right and left sides, respectively), average loads on trapezius muscles (90th percentile 15% and 14% MVE), average arm elevation (99th percentile 83° and 72°) and average wrist flexion and velocities (50th percentiles 17° of extension and 7.3°/s, for the right side). Manual scaling and machinery (use of ultrasonic scaling and hand-pieces) showed higher loads on the trapezius muscles, regarding muscular rest, as well as the 10th and 50th percentiles, than the other tasks, and for the forearm extensor muscles, an almost complete lack of muscular rest (0.1% time), and much higher loads regarding the 10th and 50th percentiles. Further, more pronounced head flexion and lower head and upper arm velocities were found, indicating more constrained postures for the neck and shoulders for the manual scaling and machinery. Use of ultrasonic scaler reduced the 50th percentile loads on the right forearm extensor muscles, but had no effect on the fraction of muscular rest and on the 10th percentile load. These findings are consistent with the high prevalences of musculoskeletal disorders among dental hygienists. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Applied Ergonomics
volume
43
issue
4
pages
803 - 811
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000302843900022
  • pmid:22208356
  • scopus:84858073355
  • pmid:22208356
ISSN
1872-9126
DOI
10.1016/j.apergo.2011.12.001
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9b103e48-110e-4811-abdd-7495cad78423 (old id 2336828)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22208356?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:23:11
date last changed
2022-03-31 02:34:06
@article{9b103e48-110e-4811-abdd-7495cad78423,
  abstract     = {{Physical workload was recorded by electromyography, inclinometry and goniometry for twelve female dental hygienists during authentic work. Their work was, in relation to other types of work, characterised by pronounced head flexion (90th percentile 46°), high loads on the forearm extensor muscles (90th percentile 23% and 18% of maximal EMG (MVE), for the right and left sides, respectively), average loads on trapezius muscles (90th percentile 15% and 14% MVE), average arm elevation (99th percentile 83° and 72°) and average wrist flexion and velocities (50th percentiles 17° of extension and 7.3°/s, for the right side). Manual scaling and machinery (use of ultrasonic scaling and hand-pieces) showed higher loads on the trapezius muscles, regarding muscular rest, as well as the 10th and 50th percentiles, than the other tasks, and for the forearm extensor muscles, an almost complete lack of muscular rest (0.1% time), and much higher loads regarding the 10th and 50th percentiles. Further, more pronounced head flexion and lower head and upper arm velocities were found, indicating more constrained postures for the neck and shoulders for the manual scaling and machinery. Use of ultrasonic scaler reduced the 50th percentile loads on the right forearm extensor muscles, but had no effect on the fraction of muscular rest and on the 10th percentile load. These findings are consistent with the high prevalences of musculoskeletal disorders among dental hygienists.}},
  author       = {{Åkesson, Ingrid and Balogh, Istvan and Hansson, Gert-Åke}},
  issn         = {{1872-9126}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{803--811}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Applied Ergonomics}},
  title        = {{Physical workload in neck, shoulders and wrists/hands in dental hygienists during a work-day.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2011.12.001}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.apergo.2011.12.001}},
  volume       = {{43}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}