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Posture Analysis of Dental Doctors Using Digital Human Modeling
Alex Bernard1, Fasin Ahammad1, Varaprasad Garapati1
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, India.
Background:
Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WRMSD) is one of the noticeable problems among dental professionals, reporting musculoskeletal pain due to the prolonged working postures.
Purpose:
This study aims to investigate the factors that influence dental doctor's health and quality of life related to their working conditions.
Methods:
The study adopted 2 methodologies: Questionnaire based survey and Digital Human Modeling. Based on the questionnaire survey, it has been observed that 81.3% of doctors are suffering from WRMSDs in various parts of the body such as: neck, shoulder, upper back, and lower back. Chi-Square test was conducted to identify the factors that contribute to WRMSD. Digital Human modeling through JACK simulation package in the study was used to analyze the forces exerted on the lumbar area (L4-L5) of the lower back which helps to determine the risk for low back injuries. Written consent was obtained from the participants before participating in the study.
Results:
The results show that WRMSD has a significant association with factors such as working hours and experience. It has been observed that the lower back compressive force on standing and sitting postures were below the NIOSH Compression limit value. But the prolonged working hours lead to discomfort to the dentist while performing their job.
Conclusion:
Based on the study it has been concluded that WRMSD is more evident in standing position, especially while performing procedures with forward head postures and the postures followed for a prolonged period.
