Next Article in Journal
IQOS Marketing in the US: The Need to Study the Impact of FDA Modified Exposure Authorization, Marketing Distribution Channels, and Potential Targeting of Consumers
Previous Article in Journal
Risk Factors of Right Ventricular Dysfunction and Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
IJERPH
Volume 18
Issue 19
10.3390/ijerph181910550
ijerph-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Dental Students—RULA Applied to Objective Kinematic Data

by
Kim Sarah Blume
1,
Fabian Holzgreve
1,
Laura Fraeulin
1,
Christina Erbe
2,
Werner Betz
3,
Eileen M. Wanke
1,
Doerthe Brueggmann
1,
Albert Nienhaus
4,
Christian Maurer-Grubinger
1,
David A. Groneberg
1 and
Daniela Ohlendorf
1,*
1
Institute of Occupational Medicine, Social Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Goethe University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2
Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
3
Institute of Dentistry, Goethe-University, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
4
Principles of Prevention and Rehabilitation Department (GPR), Institute for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in the Health and Welfare Services (BGW), 20251 Hamburg, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(19), 10550; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910550
Submission received: 30 August 2021 / Revised: 4 October 2021 / Accepted: 6 October 2021 / Published: 8 October 2021
(This article belongs to the Section Oral Health)
Browse Figures
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) is already prevalent in dental students despite their young age and the short duration of dental practice. The current findings state that the causes of MSD are related to posture during dental work. This study aims to investigate the ergonomic risk of dental students. In order to analyze the ergonomic risk of dental students, 3D motion analyses were performed with inertial sensors during the performance of standardized dental activities. For this purpose, 15 dental students and 15 dental assistant trainees (all right-handed) were measured in a team. Data were analyzed using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), which was modified to evaluate objective data. Ergonomic risk was found for the following body parts in descending order: left wrist, right wrist, neck, trunk, left lower arm, right lower arm, right upper arm, left upper arm. All relevant body parts, taken together, exhibited a posture with the highest RULA score that could be achieved (median Final Overall = 7), with body parts in the very highest RULA score of 7 for almost 80% of the treatment time. Dental students work with poor posture over a long period of time, exposing them to high ergonomic risk. Therefore, it seems necessary that more attention should be paid to theoretical and practical ergonomics in dental school.
Keywords: ergonomic risk; dental students; RULA; kinematic analysis; dental activities; MSD ergonomic risk; dental students; RULA; kinematic analysis; dental activities; MSD

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Blume, K.S.; Holzgreve, F.; Fraeulin, L.; Erbe, C.; Betz, W.; Wanke, E.M.; Brueggmann, D.; Nienhaus, A.; Maurer-Grubinger, C.; Groneberg, D.A.; et al. Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Dental Students—RULA Applied to Objective Kinematic Data. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 10550. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910550

AMA Style

Blume KS, Holzgreve F, Fraeulin L, Erbe C, Betz W, Wanke EM, Brueggmann D, Nienhaus A, Maurer-Grubinger C, Groneberg DA, et al. Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Dental Students—RULA Applied to Objective Kinematic Data. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(19):10550. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910550

Chicago/Turabian Style

Blume, Kim Sarah, Fabian Holzgreve, Laura Fraeulin, Christina Erbe, Werner Betz, Eileen M. Wanke, Doerthe Brueggmann, Albert Nienhaus, Christian Maurer-Grubinger, David A. Groneberg, and et al. 2021. "Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Dental Students—RULA Applied to Objective Kinematic Data" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 19: 10550. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910550

APA Style

Blume, K. S., Holzgreve, F., Fraeulin, L., Erbe, C., Betz, W., Wanke, E. M., Brueggmann, D., Nienhaus, A., Maurer-Grubinger, C., Groneberg, D. A., & Ohlendorf, D. (2021). Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Dental Students—RULA Applied to Objective Kinematic Data. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(19), 10550. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph181910550

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop