2003, 2005). Both aspects will not be addressed in this article, but all these different approaches require valid Bortezomib mw exposure data as a basis for their different strategies. The aim of this study was to develop an employable method to capture knee-straining postures for entire work shifts in the field by combining measurement techniques with the information delivered by diaries. As knee-straining

postures were to be recognised automatically in the measurement data, the accuracy of this automated posture recognition by the evaluation software was examined first (pretest). Second, within in a validation study, the results of the combined assessment were compared with whole-shift measurements. PXD101 research buy Third, click here the feasibility of the combined approach for field studies was shown. In this main study, exposure data for various occupational tasks were collected to show the nature of occupational knee-loading and to provide an overview of typical postural exposure levels to the knee in current occupations in Germany. Methods Knee-straining postures We focussed on five postures that are described as risk factors for the development of knee osteoarthritis, according to the definition of the respective occupational disease listed in the German schedule of occupational diseases

(No. 2112) (BMGS 2005). These included unsupported kneeling (one or both knees on the ground without supporting the trunk with the upper extremities), supported kneeling (one or both knees on the ground with additional support of the upper extremities), sitting on heels (both knees on the ground and contact between heels and backside), squatting (no knee on the ground), and crawling (moving on all four extremities) (Fig. 1). For identification of the particular

postures, knee flexion was defined as the angle between the imaginary axis of the thigh and the front side of the lower leg; standing with straight legs was defined as neutral position. Kneeling or squatting with thigh-calf-contact (Caruntu et al. 2003) was defined as deepest flexion with a knee angle of 155° (maximum flexion, Zelle et al. 2009). Fig. 1 Knee-straining postures: a unsupported kneeling (roofer); b supported kneeling (tiler), c sitting on heels (installer), d squatting (reinforcement ironworker); and e crawling (floor check details layer). Subjects b–d are equipped with the CUELA measuring system Posture capturing Posture capturing was performed using the ambulant measuring system CUELA (German abbreviation for “computer-assisted recording and long-term analysis of musculoskeletal loads”). The system has been used for several years in various studies to assess physical stress in numerous occupations and settings (e.g. Ellegast et al. 2009; Freitag et al. 2007, 2012; Glitsch et al. 2007). The system consists of gyroscopes, inclinometers, and potentiometers that are integrated in a belt system to be fixed on a person’s clothing (Fig. 1, b, c, and d).