Biomechanics of the dorsolumbar region during manual patient handling

Abstract

  Background: Many work-related accidents and diseases that affect nursing assistants’ health and the economy of companies are attributed to manual load handling. Among the available methods to analyses these tasks, NIOSH is one of the most commonly adopted. Furthermore, the implementation of biomechanical techniques enables to create and assess records that quantify the complexity of injuries. The objective is to evaluate the biomechanics of manual patient handling by the NIOSH method complemented with electromyography of the lumbar region and videogrammetry of the gesture. Methods: In a simulated work environment a patient was lifted to a gurney while the stability of the dorsolumbar region was calculated using electromyography. At the same time, the kinematics of the main joints involved in the gesture were recorded using videogrammetry. These data were compared with those of the NIOSH method to establish the main factors that may have an influence on the performance of manual load lifting. Results: The maximum recommended weight was found to be above the lifted weight. Besides, the lifting index suggested that the task could cause musculoskeletal issues. The coactivation of the pairs of medial muscles presented values under 50%. The kinematics of all the joints exhibited points of inflection during lifting and a wide variation of the amplitude of movement throughout the gesture. Conclusions: The variables that affect lifting depend on the design of the work environment. Moreover, they are closely related to articular kinematics and the height of the participants, who demonstrated good stability in the dorsolumbar region.