Identification of prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and various risk factors in dentists.

Purpose: The awkward and repetitive movements lead to tissue straining, potentially leading to painful musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs in dentists result in work inefficiency and a reduction in work hours. A survey was conducted to assess the prevalence of MSDs amongst the dental population of interest. Methods: Customized individual detail questionnaires, Standard Nordic Musculoskeletal questionnaires, and Level of Pain estimation using the Likert Scale were used to deduce the various responsible risk factors for the occurrence of MSDs in dentists. Inferential statistical analysis was done to identify the prevalence and severity of the MSDs. The Chi-Square test (95 % confidence interval) was used to identify and compare the association of risk factors involved in MSDs with the occurrence of the Effect of MSDs, the presence of MSDs, and the severity of the MSDs. Results: The results of the study deduced that the dentists followed the sedentary work practices. The dentists experienced maximum discomfort in the neck region, which was accompanied by the discomfort experienced in the lower back, hands and wrists, making the upper extremity being more susceptible to the MSDs. Gender risk factors the, the prevalence of MSDs in the dentist's upper back, and the severity of pain in the upper back region showed a significant association level. Conclusion: The wrist posture, the prevalence of MSDs and the severity of pain in the dentists' neck, shoulder and upper back showed a significant association level.

Static and dynamic validation of kinect for ergonomic postural analysis using electro-goniometers as a gold standard:A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of the working postures and development of new techniques are paramount in reducing the awkward postures and occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The Kinect sensor, a portable and cost-effective device, appears to be a promising alternative to study work postures. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to evaluate the validity of Kinect against the gold-standard instrument (electro-goniometers) for body joint angle measurements. METHODS: A unique software application was developed to measure the critical body joint angles for postural evaluation by using the Kinect's skeletal tracking feature. The body joint angle data of ten volunteers were measured simultaneously by both Kinect and electro-goniometers. The validation analysis was conducted in both static and dynamic domains of application. RESULTS: Minimal variation was observed between the two techniques, and the Kinect correlated well for upper-arm joint angles of 45∘, 60∘ and 90∘; lower-arm joint angles of 30∘, 45∘, 60∘, and 90∘; straight neck position, neck joint angle at maximum possible flexion; straight trunk position, trunk bend angle at full flexion. In dynamic analysis, four out of five ICC values were > 0.75 except for the upper arm. Discrepancies in the results indicated the disapproval of Kinect for only wrist measurements. CONCLUSION: The results of the static and dynamic studies gave a sufficient basis to consider the Kinect tool as an alternative to contemporary posture-based ergonomic evaluation methods.