Biomedical subjects

Dominique Penneau-Fontbonne

Publications and source records attributed to Dominique Penneau-Fontbonne.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Surveillance program of neck and upper limb musculoskeletal disorders: assessment over a 4 year period in a large company.

OBJECTIVE: A company-wide surveillance program for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) based on the assessment of health and risk factors was implemented between 1996 and 2000 in a large shoe factory. The study aimed to compare the results of the surveillance program in 1996 and 1997 with the occurrence of MSDs in 2000. METHODS: A health and ergonomic assessment of workstations was performed for 253 workers in 1996. Of these, 166 were examined again in both 1997 and 2000. A set of criteria was used to predict whether or not a job category could be predicted to have a potentially high risk of MSDs in 1996 and 1997 and the results were compared with the incidence rate of MSDs in the job category in 2000. RESULTS: The criteria based on prevalence data in 1996 were unable to detect the job categories characterized by the occurrence of MSDs in 2000. The criterion based on an incidence rate >1% in 1997 was sensitive and specific. The agreement between the ranking of the job categories according to incidence rate of MSDs in 1997 and 2000 was good (rho=0.57, P=0.11). Agreement of the prediction based on ergonomic exposure was lower than that based on incidence data. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of the surveillance program to predict on a collective basis the job categories in which numerous cases of MSDs occurred in 2000 depended on the decision criteria used. The criteria based on the incidence of MSDs were more reliable to predict the risk of MSDs than those based on prevalence data or on exposure assessment. Because exposure assessment plays a greater role in determining the priorities for ergonomic intervention, surveillance of health and exposure must nevertheless be combined to predict the risk of MSDs in the plant in the short and middle terms.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Effects of functional restoration versus 3 hours per week physical therapy: a randomized controlled study.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized parallel-group comparative trial with a 6-month follow-up period. OBJECTIVE: To compare, in chronic low back pain patients, the effectiveness of a functional restoration program, including intensive physical training, occupational therapy, and psychological support to an active individual therapy consisting of 3 hours physical therapy per week during 5 weeks. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Controlled studies conducted in the United States showed a benefit of functional restoration in patients with low back pain, especially on return to work. Randomized Canadian and European trials had less favorable results. In France, there has been up to now no randomized study. Controlled studies suggested a positive effect of functional restoration programs. METHODS: Eighty-six patients with low back pain were randomized to either the functional restoration (44 patients) or the active individual therapy (42 patients) program. One person in each group never started the program. Two patients did not complete the functional restoration program, and one was lost to follow-up at 6 months. The mean number of sick-leave days in the 2 previous years was 6 months. RESULTS: After adjustment on the variable "workplace enrolled in an ergonomic program", the mean number of sick-leave days was significantly lower in the functional restoration group. Physical criteria and treatment appreciation were also better. There was no significant difference in the intensity of pain, the quality of life and functional indexes, the psychological characteristics, the number of contacts with the medical system, and the drug intake. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a functional restoration program on important outcome measures, such as sick leave, in a country that has a social system that protects people facing difficulties at work.

Absenteeism↗

PubMed2004

Biomechanical assessment of new hand-powered pruning shears.

The aim of the study was to assess the biomechanical strains on the hand-wrist system during grapevine pruning with newly designed pruning shears. Surface electromyography of the finger flexor muscle and wrist postures were analyzed in four vineyard workers during actual work with the new and reference hand-powered pruning shears. Due to the large inter-individual differences in biomechanical data observed with both pruning shears, no systematic effect of the new pruning shears on "extreme" flexion/extension (F/E) and ulnar/radial (U/R) wrist deviations was demonstrated. However, the use of the new pruning shears was associated with a higher frequency of "neutral and moderate" U/R deviations (U/R < 20%(max)) and, to a lesser extent, of "neutral and moderate" F/E deviations (F/E < 20%(max)). Due to the small sample of workers, this result must be confirmed in a larger population of vineyard workers.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Biomechanical strains on the hand-wrist system during grapevine pruning.

OBJECTIVES: In order to understand the high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders of the hand among vineyard workers, we conducted a study to evaluate biomechanical strains on the hand-wrist system during grapevine pruning. METHODS: Surface electromyography (sEMG) activity of the right flexor digitorum muscle and wrist posture were analysed in six healthy vineyard workers using the same hand-powered pruning shears during grapevine pruning. RESULTS: The biomechanical strains on the hand-wrist system were high during grapevine pruning. Mean sEMG activity during pruning was high [23.5% (standard error of the mean (SEM): 0.4) in the maximal voluntary handgrip contraction (MVC)], as was the mean cutting frequency per minute (38; range=24-48). Approximately 14% of cuts were performed with the wrist in extreme flexion/extension (F/E) (>60% of the maximum range). Numerous cuts required moderate (20%-40% of the maximum range) or extreme (>50% of the maximum range) ulnar deviation (17% and 12% of cuts, respectively). Approximately 18% of cuts required both high muscular activity (sEMG >15% MVC) and extreme ulnar/radial (U/R) deviation of the wrist (>50% of the maximum range). CONCLUSION: Pruning imposes high biomechanical strains on the hand-wrist system in view of the repetitiveness of the task. The magnitude of physical exposure during pruning explains the high prevalence of hand disorders among vineyard workers. The use of ergonomic pruning shears is advised to lower force exertion and to reduce the frequency of awkward wrist postures during pruning.

Adult↗