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Biomedical subjects

J Rutenfranz

Publications and source records attributed to J Rutenfranz.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

[Occupational health studies on airport transport workers. III. Musculoskeletal complaints and orthopedic disorders of airport transport workers (author's transl)].

In an epidemiologic cross-sectional study, 366 transport workers (age-range: 19-61 years) of a big German airport who are engaged in physical heavy work in unfavorable body positions in narrow freight spaces of airplanes, were investigated with regard to their subjective musculoskeletal complaints through a standardized anamnesis in an interview questionnaire. An additional clinical orthopedic examination was performed in 104 of the transport workers. Back pains were the most frequently reported complaints: at the time of examination 66% of the transport workers reported present back complaints. 57% had experienced previous back syndromes. Increasing age and stature were associated with a higher prevalence of these complaints. Years of exposure to transport work correlated positively with the prevalence of back complaints. After back complaints, knee complaints followed in the prevalence of locomotor complaints (41% of the interviewed workers). The prevalence increased with age and body weight significantly. Neck complaints were reported by 33% of the workers, arm complaints by 41%: again, age increased the prevalence of these complaints significantly. In the standardized clinical orthopedic examination, the prevalence of the functional findings were sometimes higher than in the interview. In contrast to the subjective complaints at the interview, individual factors (age, stature, weight, and work experience in the present occupation) had very little influence on the prevalence of objective findings. The clinical, epidemiologic screening methods employed have proved efficacious in detecting orthopedic disorders in an occupational collective. This study has shown that transport workers with wide discrepancies between body length and the space available in airplane cargo bellies, considerable overweight, or a history of former back syndromes should not be employed. Means to alter cargo belly dimensions in airplanes as well as the increased use of mechanical loading aids and additional training of the workers in proper lifting and carrying of cargo should be taken in to consideration.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Maximal aerobic power affected by maturation and body growth during childhood and adolescence.

This paper examines the development of maximal aerobic power as a function of maturation by a longitudinal study with annual examinations of representative samples of 56 boys and 56 girls in Norway and Western Germany. The age at which occurred peak height velocity (PHV) (i.e. the age at which the greatest height velocity was observed) was used as a reference of biological age and maturation. Before the PHV the mean maximal aerobic power was the same in two cohorts of children both in absolute values as well as in values relative to total and lean body mass. At and after PHV the boys were similar in their absolute values, but the German girls decreased their exercise fitness and became inferior to the Norwegian girls during later adolescence. When related to age of PHV the maximal aerobic power increased during the prepubertal years, mainly as an effect of growth in body size with little or no additional effect of other factors and approached a ceiling level at the end of adolescence. The boys exhibited clearly superior exercise fitness during all years of childhood and adolescence, this being in contrast to the widely accepted concept that no sex difference exists in exercise fitness before puberty. The maximum level for VO2-max, reached at the end of adolescence, averaged 3.2 1/min with a coefficient of variation of about 12% for the boys, and 2.5 1/min for the Norwegian girls and a similar coefficient of variation. As these ceiling values of maximal oxygen uptake agree with published averages for normal young adults representative for the normal population in these two countries, it is suggested that they represent optimal values brought about mainly by normal growth in body size with no or little additional effects of other factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Back complaints and findings in transport workers performing physically heavy work.

Transport work at an airport promotes the appearance of back diseases because of the lifting carrying, pulling, and pushing of loads in limited spaces. To clarify the nature of back disorders in such a group, a standardized interview for detecting subjective previous and present back symptoms was made of 366 transport workers, and 134 were given a clinical orthopedic examination for detecting objective findings. Sixty-six percent of the interviewed workers reported current back symptoms; these symptoms correlated significantly positively with height, age, and length of transport work experience. Eighty-three percent of te workers with present back symptoms also complained of former back pain. Validity tests between the interview and the clinical examination showed a sensitivity of 86% and a specificity of 31%. The results of our study suggest (i) that according to the high sensitivity the used interview is a valuable screening method for detecting back disorders, and (ii) that selection of workers according to the criteria of our results may be expected to lower the prevalence of back complaints.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Health standards in terms of exercise fitness of school children in urban and rural areas in various European countries.

Health standard in terms of maximal aerobic power has been assessed in representative samples of school children in four European countries, with the object of testing the hypothesis that factors associated with the present days urbanization hamper the developmental process. In Norway and Iceland the exercise fitness of urban living children was stronger than that of children living in scarcely populated areas. In West Germany and Czechoslovakia there appeared a tendency in the same direction though the health standard in some ages was similar for urban and rural living children. The conclusion is consequently clear in as much as no evidence was found that supports the widespread concept that urbanization affects the exercise fitness during growth. On the contrary, urban living seems to enhance the developmental process most likely because the urbanized society stimulates children to vigorous play and sport, thus increasing habitual physical activity. Children living in rural environment become socially isolated, adopt sedentary living habits which subsequently hamper the development of functional characteristics. The maximal aerobic power of the boys and girls in these four European countries was similar when compared on basis on where they are living (urban/rural) except for the Norwegian boys who were considerably superior to the others.

Aerobiosis↗
PubMed1981

[Studies on differences in the preventive effects of habitual physical activity in occupation versus leisure time. II. Effects of physical activity in occupation versus leisure time on physical working capacity (author's transl)].

One hundred and twenty men, aged 23--60 years and having various professions participated in studies on relationships between daily physical activity and physical performance capacity (PPC). The determination of daily physical activity at work and of the habitual leisure time activities has been described earlier (Ilmarinen et al. 1980). The determination of physical performance capacity was based on W170, W85% and on predicted VO2 max measured with continuously increasing work load on a bicycle ergometer. The W85% modification corresponds to the working capacity at a heart rate level of 85% of maximal heart rate. Workers with a combination of heavy physical work and active leisure time showed systematically the highest absolute and relative values of PPC. However, although the results indicated that the effect of work activity on PPC was not significant, the effects of leisure time activities on W85% and on VO2 max related to lean body mass were significant. It is concluded that the leisure time sport activities are more important than the physical activity at work in maintaining or increasing the PPC. Aerobic sport activities in leisure time are recommended both for persons with physically heavy and light work.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Maximum aerobic power and body composition during the puberty growth period: similarities and differences between children of two European countries.

This report gives results of a longitudinal study of two cohorts of school children in Norway and West-Germany. The rate of growth in body size and composition is identical for the two samples, but different for the two sexes, and follows closely the trend of growth which has been found for North-Europeans in general. Despite of this similarity in growth of anatomical variables the Norwegian children appeared to be superior in their maximum aerobic power at all comparable ages and in both sexes. The differences between means in maximal oxygen uptake varies somewhat with age and sex and are in the range of 5-10%. It is suggested that the mean differences between Norwegian and German children in their exercise and cardio-vascular fitness are brought about by a more physically active behavioural pattern of living in Norway.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Excercise ventilation during the growth spurt period: comparison between two European countries.

The paper provides reference values with regard to pulmonary ventilation responses o progressively increasing bicycling up to the maximal level during the period of growth spurt. Data are based on longitudinal studies or rural Norwegian and German school children. A cluster sampling technique was used, starting with the total pupil-population at Lom in Norway at an age of 8 years, and annual tests were performed until the age of 15 years. In germany a similar pupil-population was tested from age 12 until age 17 years. Functional growth curves giving means and dispersions for ventilation rates, tidal volume, respiratory frequency, ventilatory equivalent and respiratory gas exchange ratio are constructed. Norwegian and German children's developmental processes with regard to the exercise ventilation variables were compared, and revealed no significant differences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Occupational health studies on airport transport workers. II. Muscle strength of airport transport workers.

Airport transport workers do manual work in loading and unloading the cargo space of passenger airplanes. In several types of airplanes the work has to be carried out in narrow spaces and in cramped positions. The present study describes the isometric strength of some muscle groups in 70 airport transport workers. Trunk extensors, trunk flexors, muscles involved in bimanual vertical lifting, elbow extensors, and elbow flexors were measured. A method with fixed positions and strictly isometric contractions was used. The strengths of the different muscle groups correlated with each other and with body weight; those of lifting, trunk flexors and biceps also with stature. The absolute strength of the muscle groups declined with advancing age at rates from 0.3% to 1.5% per year, the relative strength (N/kg body weight) by 0.9%-2.0% per year.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Physical performance capacity of children in Norway. V. The influence of social isolation on the rate of growth in body size and composition and on the achievement in lung function and maximal aerobic power of children in a rural community.

This paper tested the hypothesis that social isolation of children brings about a reduced pattern of habitual physical activity, influences body composition during growth, and hampers development of physical performance capacity. Two cohorts of children were studied, one living at or close to the center, the other living in the periphery of the community of Lom in Southern Norway. The two cohorts of children differed in their patterns of physical behavior, but were otherwise similar in genetic traits, nutrition, and environmental conditions. During a 4-year period the two cohorts of children were tested annually. The center children were leaner, and their maximal oxygen uptake and forced expiratory volume were greater in all years of growth when related to body size.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1980

[Occupational health studies on airport transport workers. I. Results of ergonomic time and motion studies (author's transl)].

Loading and unloading of aircrafts involves lifting, moving, and carrying of heavy cargo in unfavourable body positions and in narrow spaces. This transport work was subjected to an investigation in a big airport. Forty-three male transport workers and foremen were studied during 46 total shifts. The type of activity was recorded by using the standardized procedure, the so-called "Arbeitswissenschaftliches Erhebungsverfahren zur Tätigkeitsanalyse" (AET). For time and motion analysis, body positions were recorded by continuous observation during the total shift. For typical activities the energy expenditure was determined. The strain caused by transport work was estimated by recording the heart rate with a portable cardiocorder during the total shift. The results show that both dynamic and static work are involved in the loading and unloading of aircrafts. The heart rate varied characteristically according to the body position and to type of activity. The body position was mainly determined by the height of the bellies (from 0.61-1.97 m) of different aircrafts. An additional influence due to weight carrying could be observed only in body positions with low energy expenditure. Recommendations for changing the height of the bellies or to the appropriate selection of workers were made.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Occupationally induced stress, strain and peak loads as related to age.

From six different type of work 120 men, aged 23--60 a, were classified according to the Ergonomic Job Description Questionnaire into four groups representing specific work content (producing forces, coordinating motor and sensory functions, converting information into reactions, and producing information). Work stress was assessed with measurements of oxygen consumption (VO2) and with the registration of the minutes spent at different stress levels. Relative aerobic strain (RAS) was defined as the VO2 during work as the percentage of VO2 max. Strain was measured with continuous recordings of heart rate during the workday. Peak loads were evaluated according to the relative number of minutes above the heart rate levels of 130, 150 and 170 beats/min. The VO2 during work was virtually identical in the age groups less than 35, 35--50 and greater than 50 a. The RAS tended to increase with age due to the decrease in VO2 max. The strain remained practically the same in all the age groups. In the group "coordinating motor and sensory functions" strain tended to increase with age. Peak loads over 150 beats/min were not rare for the older subjects. The results suggest that stress and strain during work remain practically the same as age increases. The RAS, however, tends to increase with age within groups doing mainly physical work and with exposures to peak loads.

Adult↗