Assessment of Postural Load Index Using LUBA Method and the Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Dentists

High prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in dentistry represents the importance of investigation of working conditions in this profession to reduce musculoskeletal disorders.The purpose of this study was to determine the postural load on the upper limb postural using macro LUBA technique and the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders.

This study was conducted on 30 post graduate dental students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. LUBA technique was used to evaluate the postural load. The Nordic questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders. The results were analyzed using SPSS version 16.

The prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was as follows; neck(63.3%), back (43.3%), back (30%), knee (20%), shoulder(13%), wrist (10%), legs (10 %), elbows(6.7%) and thigh(0%). The maximum postural load index was 23 for women and 21for men. In total, 50 % of dentists were in group 3, 33 % of dentists in group 4 and 16.7 % in group 2 of the corrective measures. There was no significant association b etween demographic variables and presence of musculoskeletal disorders. Besides, there was no significant association between the presence of pain in upper limbs and the postural load index (Pvalue > 0.05).

This study showed high levels of p ostural load index and musculoskeletal disorders among dental students of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences. High levels of p ostural load index indicate a high level of risk, which requires immediate corrective action and intervention.