Cross-Sectional Study on Ergonomic Impacts on Lower Limb Joints Kinematics of Long-Term Standing and Sitting Workers

Musculoskeletal and physical changes may affect posture and movement. Functional adaptations to postural realignments can overload the main joints of the lower limbs, which results in discomfort and pain. In general, functional limitations can be the result of compensatory biomechanical adaptations caused by increased body mass, anterior displacements of the center of mass, and hormonal changes. This can result in increased hip mobility and more stress on the muscles during activities of daily living. 554 healthy volunteers were selected from the urban population through a stratified random sampling method for the study, with one group consisting of individuals with prolonged sitting positions (e.g. drivers, software professionals, and bank employees of both sexes), and the other consisting of individuals with prolonged standing (e.g. traffic police, building constructors, and salespeople in shops and textile industries of both sexes). An unpaired t-test was used to compare values between prolonged standing and sitting workers. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. In this current study, we found that long-term standing and sitting workers showed statistically significant differences in the kinematics of the lower limbs. According to all these results, stretching and strengthening exercises for the muscles that are more affected by prolonged standing and sitting occupations can prevent overuse syndrome, musculoskeletal injury, and kinematic changes in the lower limb joints. Our exploratory analyses revealed that kinematic changes are strongly associated with prolonged standing and sitting occupations, indicating the need for ergonomic interventions.