individual
What campus are you from?
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Matthew Esty, Senior
Lead Presenter's Name
Matthew Esty
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr.Elizabeth Blickensderfer
Abstract
Participant E is a sixty-four-year-old schoolteacher who suffers from severe arthritis. She sustained a majority of the damage to her knee from her time as a teacher. A car accident in December of 2024 caused significant damage to her knees, hip, and neck. She follows a consistent routine on weekdays when she has work. Her knee injuries have been made worse from falls she had and fights between students she had to stop. Her biggest struggle is fitting into certain things. She suffers from pain throughout the majority of her body. To analyze Participant E’s risk two different ergonomic tools were used. The Rapid Upper Limit Assessment or RULA was utilized to determine how high risk one of the tasks she performs on her feet is. Since she also spends a lot of time sitting at her desk the Quick Chair Usability Checklist was also used to help determine if the chair was properly supporting her. Both tools showed many areas of improvement to help alleviate some of Participant E’s pain and help lower her risk. To help reduce her RULA score it was recommended she get an anti-fatigue mat to stand on, and a laser pointer to use. Getting an ergonomic desk chair would also help take a lot of stress off her body as well. The ideal solution however to her arthritis pain is to get a total knee replacement.
Did this research project receive funding support from the Office of Undergraduate Research.
No
Arthritis: A Debilitating Condition For a School Teacher
Participant E is a sixty-four-year-old schoolteacher who suffers from severe arthritis. She sustained a majority of the damage to her knee from her time as a teacher. A car accident in December of 2024 caused significant damage to her knees, hip, and neck. She follows a consistent routine on weekdays when she has work. Her knee injuries have been made worse from falls she had and fights between students she had to stop. Her biggest struggle is fitting into certain things. She suffers from pain throughout the majority of her body. To analyze Participant E’s risk two different ergonomic tools were used. The Rapid Upper Limit Assessment or RULA was utilized to determine how high risk one of the tasks she performs on her feet is. Since she also spends a lot of time sitting at her desk the Quick Chair Usability Checklist was also used to help determine if the chair was properly supporting her. Both tools showed many areas of improvement to help alleviate some of Participant E’s pain and help lower her risk. To help reduce her RULA score it was recommended she get an anti-fatigue mat to stand on, and a laser pointer to use. Getting an ergonomic desk chair would also help take a lot of stress off her body as well. The ideal solution however to her arthritis pain is to get a total knee replacement.