Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome Risk Factors Analysis in Selective Garbage Truck Drivers

Abstract

Background: Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS) is a disease with gradual worsening, affecting 22.7% of the general population, clinically described as a peripatellar pain aggravated when going up and/or downstairs. Objective: To identify risk factors for the emergence or aggravation of PFPS present in selective waste collection workers in their daily activity. Method: The experimental protocol first consisted of a thorough evaluation of the workstation. After, the movements executed by the driver were registered and analysed, task by task. Results: The results report that the workers workplace characteristics and the and the postures and movements carried out contribute to the emergence and worsening of PFPS. ConclusionsIt was concluded that, since the work tasks entail climbing and descending a vertical ladder more than one hundred times (twice at each stop, at least), there is a causal link between PFPS and the performed task. Therefore, the workstation requires immediate intervention. (c) 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.