[Risk factors for rotator cuff injury among dentists]

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Orthopedics
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Focuses on professional risk prevention in hospital settings in Ivory Coast.
• Addresses the politics of improvement for preventing professional risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors influencing rotator cuff pathology in dentist surgeons.
• To enhance preventive measures for occupational shoulder injuries.

Main Methods:

• Prospective case-control study conducted in Abidjan's public hospitals and private clinics.
• Utilized the Nordic questionnaire to collect data on demographics, BMI, and shoulder-specific information.
• Employed statistical tests including Chi-squared, T-Student, Fischer's exact test, and Reduced Gap test.

Main Results:

• Included 100 cases and 100 controls; average age of tendinitis onset was 38.83 years.
• Age, sex, BMI, and professional experience did not significantly influence shoulder lesion onset.
• Professional seniority, averaging 12.7 years, was found to encourage shoulder lesions, linked to work duration and repetitive tasks.

Conclusions:

• Shoulder tendinitis is a significant occupational health issue for dentist surgeons.
• Recommends recognizing and compensating shoulder tendinitis as an indemnisable professional disease.