Ergonomic Evaluation of Working Conditions in Orthotists and Prosthetists by Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA)

Abstract

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the prevalence rate of musculoskeletal disorders and evaluate the body position in routine tasks among orthotists and prosthetists. Methods: Forty orthotists and prosthetists were included. The scores of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment were used to determine the prevalence rate of musculoskeletal disorders and analyze the work position of orthotists and prosthetists, respectively. An examiner evaluated 10 working postures that were dominantly used every day, in each orthotist and prosthetist. Results: Among the orthotists, 55.6% of men and 47% of women suffered from pain in the trunk, neck, and lower limbs. Nearly similar results were seen in the upper limbs (74.1% men and 45.5% women). Such high prevalence rates were not seen in prosthetists. The analysis of the Rapid Entire Body Assessment scores based on the working task and gender of the orthotist and prosthetist showed that more than 60% of the workers achieved a score of 4 to 7 approximately in half of the tasks. It shows the medium risk of musculoskeletal disorders, thus, corrective action is necessary. Conclusion: Based on the findings, musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent among orthotists and prosthetists, especially in the orthotist workers. To reduce these disorders, it is recommended to add ergonomic topics and training courses for working with devices to increase the knowledge of specialists and apply and select practical tools based on the principles of ergonomics.