Association between long-term static postures exposure and musculoskeletal disorders among university employees: A viewpoint of inflammatory pathways

Abstract

BackgroundMusculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are critical occupational and social problems. With the improvement of production mechanization and automation, and the widespread application of computers, more occupations are exposed to static postures and load. This study explored the role of inflammation in the association between static postures exposure and MSDs.MethodsThis study adopted a prospective nested case-control design in which 66 lower back MSDs cases and 66 healthy controls were selected from a cohort study of university employees. The personal information, postural load, musculoskeletal symptoms, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), and inflammatory cytokines were collected. Logistic and linear regressions were used to investigate the association among postural load, inflammatory cytokines, and lower back MSDs. Mediation analysis was used to calculate the mediation effect.ResultsThe results of logistic and linear regressions showed that postural load and inflammatory cytokines were positively associated with lower back MSDs (P < 0.05), and postural load was positively associated with inflammatory cytokines (P < 0.05). Further, mediation analysis showed that the mediation effect of postural load on the lower back MSDs through TNF-α was 0.073 (95%CI: 0.025–0.128), and the mediation effect of posture load on the lower back MSDs through IL-6 was 0.098 (95%CI: 0.041–0.179), respectively.ConclusionStatic postures were associated with the occurrence of MSDs through inflammatory cytokines, and low-level inflammation may be a critical early event in the generation of MSDs. This study may help bridge the gap of potential mechanisms linking static postures to increased risks of MSDs, and provide new evidence for targeted protection against the global increasing MSDs.

Comparative Analyses of Hamstring Tightness and Sitting Duration Among Professional and Non-Professional Drivers in a Nigerian Community

“…The increased muscle tightness observed among professional drivers might be due to persistent isometric contraction of the hamstring in the sitting posture during driving for a long period of time. Prolonged poor sitting posture had been reported to account for half of work-related musculoskeletal dysfunctions (MSD), leading to increased and continuous static load; stress and strain on the muscles, tendons, and ligaments with resultant pain and discomfort over time [27,28,29,30]. Significant association had also been reported between long sitting posture and work-related musculoskeletal dysfunctions in developed nations around the world [31].…”

A Novel IMU-Based System for Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders Risk Assessment

“…Building on the collected IMU data and self-reported information, risk models were developed to link the aforementioned risk factors to their respective risk scores. For instance, static postures are known to lead to muscle fatigue and discomfort the longer they are held [70][71][72][73][74]. In our study, the risk associated with static posture duration (R1) is quantified using Equation (8).…”

“…Lastly, adequate recovery time between tasks is essential to prevent WMSDs, as continuous repetitive motions and insufficient rest increase the risk [70,71]. To quantify this aspect, the risk related to recovery time (R5) is given by Equation (12).…”