A comparison of shoulder kinematics and neuromuscular activity in eleven patient transfer techniques
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Date
2024-08
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University of New Brunswick
Abstract
Nurses face high rates of musculoskeletal disorders, mainly from patient handling. This study examined the biomechanical shoulder demands associated with eleven patient handing techniques from two New Brunswick programs: “Back in Form” and “All the Right Moves”. This study amid to determine if significant differences existed across techniques to inform a new patient handling program for the New Brunswick acute care system. Twenty-six nursing students were trained and performed the techniques on a patient-actor, with a second caregiver for two-person tasks. Biomechanical and neuromuscular demands were recorded using electromyography, motion capture, a dynamometer, and a Borg scale. Statistical analysis involved repeated measures ANOVA and Tukey’s post-hoc analysis for significant findings. Our study indicates that both programs have similar outcomes, with shoulder muscle activity staying below 20% MVC. Some techniques showed lower muscle activity depending on the repositioning direction. While shoulder flexion over 60° is usually a WMSD risk, neuromuscular demands were minimal.