Discover Osarten’s new tool for health

Technological advances make it possible to have advanced tools for assessing the functional capacity of people who have suffered an accident or injury while performing their work.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) points out in its report Musculoskeletal disorders: prevalence, costs and demographics in the EU EU-OSHA and Work-related musculoskeletal disorders that MSDs were the main cause of temporary work incapacity in the state as early as 2007, accounting for 18% of the total (908,781 cases), 23% of all lost working days (39,342,857 in total) and 23% of total costs.

The INSST points out that overexertion continues to be the leading cause of work-related accidents with sick leave, taking into account that its incidence in the working population has not stopped growing for more than 20 years.

At Osarten they are aware that the companies in their environment and those who work in them are not immune to this problem. That is why they have been looking for a long time for a tool that allows them to objectively and reliably evaluate the joint mobility capacity of those people who have suffered an accident or a MSD derived from the development of their work in order to assess their progress, as well as their possible return to their job. Since the beginning of the year, they have had a new system aimed at evaluating functional capacity in relation to mobility or force application in the healthcare field, using the inertial technology developed by the IDERGO Research Group at the University of Zaragoza.

Objective of functional capacity assessment tests

The main objective of these tests is to provide specialists in the healthcare field with objective information that will help them assess the functional capacity of a person injured due to work-related reasons, as well as evaluate their cooperation during the development of the test.

They provide complementary information to other tests, to facilitate both the analysis in the assessment of functional capacity and the planning of possible treatments, their evolution or, where appropriate, to delimit the possible consequences. In this way, it is possible to assess not only their evolution, but also their return to work, as well as the possible measures necessary to guarantee that their return is successful and does not lead to a relapse.

The tests, which are used in healthcare settings, consist of having the patient perform a series of exercises, previously designed according to a specific protocol, to measure a series of objective parameters.

The person is previously fitted with a series of sensors on their body that allow the movement made during the tests to be captured in real time and transferred to an avatar whose anthropometry is similar to that of the patient.

They are useful for demonstrating whether a present injury may become a limitation for carrying out a specific task in the workplace, for assessing whether a patient has reached an adequate functional level that allows them to return to their work activity, for assessing how they have evolved from a rehabilitation treatment, or for supporting the processing of benefits following work accidents, traffic accidents, or occupational diseases.

The tests are carried out jointly by an occupational physician and a technical operator specializing in ergonomics. They allow the following capacities to be measured:

• Mobility or range of motion (ROM).
• Isometric strength, using dynamometers.

Other features of the system

It also allows real-time capture of joint movement during testing, and has the advantage of being able to be installed and accommodated in different spaces, as it is a versatile and completely portable device. Normally, it is possible to perform the tests in a normal consulting room.

Furthermore, in certain tests, the virtual reality device could be used to enhance the possibilities of immersive environments, to achieve movement in accordance with the real capacity of the patient.

Instructions for requesting biomechanical tests

Before requesting a biomechanical test, a prior medical evaluation is recommended.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of different pathologies or injuries in order to facilitate the decision-making process on which biomechanical test is appropriate to request.

These biomechanical tests must be considered as complementary to other studies or tests, helping whoever requests them in making the final decision regarding the patient.

Currently available tests

• Cervical ROM.
• Dorsolumbar ROM.
• Shoulder ROM.
• ROM elbow.
• ROM hand.
• DINA hand.
• Move & Reach.
• March (coming soon).