Feasibility Study for Wearable Sensor-Based Vibrotactile Feedback for Posture and Muscle Activation in a Relevant...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Ergonomics
• Dental Education

Background:

• Dental professionals are prone to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
• Poor posture and muscle activation patterns contribute to MSDs.
• Ergonomic awareness is crucial for preventing MSDs in dental practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a wearable sensor-based haptic feedback system for promoting ergonomic awareness in dental students.
• To assess the system's influence on posture and muscle activation during simulated dental procedures.
• To determine the feasibility of integrating such systems into preclinical dental training.

Main Methods:

• Utilized inertial measurement units (IMUs) for posture tracking (back/neck angles).
• Employed surface electromyography (sEMG) to measure lower erector spinae (LES) and upper trapezius (UT) muscle activation.
• Delivered real-time vibrotactile haptic feedback via IMUs for disadvantageous postures during simulated crown preparation.
• Analyzed data from four dental students using two-way ANOVA, comparing feedback vs. no-feedback conditions across different dental activities.

Main Results:

• Haptic feedback led to a slight increase in neck angles but minimal change in back angles.
• Observed reduced UT activation and increased right LES activation, indicating altered muscle recruitment.
• Heatmap and RULA analyses suggested a shift towards more varied and potentially safer postural distributions with feedback.
• Drilling activity was consistently linked to higher ergonomic risk.

Conclusions:

• Real-time haptic feedback effectively influenced dental students' posture and muscle activation, reducing UT strain.
• The system shows potential for enhancing ergonomic awareness in preclinical dental education.
• Wearable feedback systems could be integrated into training to mitigate MSD risk among dentists.