Comparação da incapacidade percebida e independência funcional em indivíduos com lesão medular atletas e não atletas / Comparación de incapacidad percebida e independencia funcional en individuos con lesión medular atletas y no atletas / Comparison of perceived disability and functional independence in individuals with spinal cord injury athletes and non-athletes

RESUMO Os comprometimentos da funcionalidade em indivíduos com lesão medular (LM) geram complicações secundárias, sendo o descondicionamento físico preponderante e um exacerbador das complicações da lesão. O objetivo foi avaliar em atletas e não atletas com LM a incapacidade percebida e a independência funcional. Os questionários WHODAS 2.0 e SCIM III foram aplicados em 37 voluntários com LM e seus dados sociodemográficos foram coletados. Os escores totais do WHODAS 2.0 e SCIM III de indivíduos com LM torácica e LM cervical foram comparados por meio do teste de Mann-Whitney. Quanto à incapacidade percebida observou-se diferença significativa no WHODAS 2.0 entre atletas e não atletas com LM torácica. Em relação à independência funcional não houve diferenças significativas entre os grupos no SCIM III. Apesar de a prática esportiva promover benefícios para a saúde, no grupo de indivíduos com LM cervical não foram encontradas diferenças significativas, o que pode ser explicado pelo maior grau de comprometimento motor desses indivíduos.

RESUMEN Las disfunciones funcionales en personas con lesión de médula espinal (LME) generan complicaciones secundarias. El malo condicionamiento físico es preponderante y un exacerbador de las complicaciones de la lesión. El objetivo fue evaluar la discapacidad percibida y la independencia funcional en atletas y no atletas con LME. Los cuestionarios WHODAS 2.0 y SCIM III se aplicaron a 37 voluntarios con LME que tuvieron sus datos sociodemográficos colectados. Se compararon las puntuaciones totales de WHODAS 2.0 y SCIM III de individuos con LM torácica y cervical mediante la prueba de Mann-Whitney. Con respecto a la discapacidad percibida, se observó una diferencia significativa en WHODAS 2.0 entre atletas y no atletas con LME torácico. En cuanto a la independencia funcional, no hubo diferencias significativas entre los grupos en SCIM III. Aunque los deportes promueven beneficios para la salud, no se encontraron diferencias significativas en el grupo de individuos con LME cervical, lo que puede explicarse por el mayor grado de deterioro motor en estos individuos.

ABSTRACT Functional impairment in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) generate secondary complications, with preponderant physical deconditioning and an exacerbation of injury complications. The objective was to evaluate the perceived disability and functional independence in athletes and non-athletes with SCI. The WHODAS 2.0 and SCIM III questionnaires were applied to 37 volunteers with SCI and their sociodemographic data were collected. The total scores of WHODAS 2.0 and SCIM III of individuals with thoracic SCI and cervical SCI were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Regarding the perceived disability, a significant difference was found in WHODAS 2.0 among athletes and non-athletes with thoracic SCI. As to functional independence, no significant differences were found between groups in SCIM III. Although the sports practice promotes health benefits, no significant differences were found in the group of individuals with cervical SCI, which can be explained by these individual's higher degree of motor impairment.

Analysis of the influence of an articulated seat position for wheelchair on the pressure distribution in the gluteal region

INTRODUCTION: The present study proposes a new scientific project for the seat of a wheelchair, suggesting that, through the properties of a three plan mobile seat, the pelvis of individuals with neuromotor dysfunctions may position themselves adequately, allowing a chain effect, with innumerable benefits to the users, such as prevention of deformities, of muscle shortening, of pressure ulcers and improved functionality. In spite of innumerable wheelchair models available in market, none presents the ample properties resembling the articulated seat, allowing the pelvic alignment that is crucial for the adoption of an adequate posture. METHODS: The articulated seat was set over a ball and socket articulation made of two components, one convex that is fixed in the chair's structure and the other concave, attached to a mobile platform. The property of the articulated seat, to change the pressure distribution in the gluteal region, was tested on 34 typical individuals, without neurological injury, through a measurement system composed by 27 sensors. RESULTS: The significance of the statistic model proposed determined that the articulated seat was capable of altering the pressure distribution in the gluteal region in several positions on the frontal and sagittal planes, in healthy subjects. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that this equipment is capable of redistributing the pressure in a seating position, future research to examine other parameters such as time of use, the use in subjects with neurological dysfunction, the angle of pelvic inclination, the criterions of indication and non-indication, inter alia, must be conducted to appropriately qualify this device.

O trabalho do marreteiro nas indústrias de fundição: atividade em condições nocivas à saúde e incompatível com o direito brasileiro / The sledgehammer work on foundry industries: an activity on harmful conditions to the health and incompatible with the Brazilian law

O presente artigo tem como escopo demonstrar o trabalho em condições de sofrimento dos trabalhadores marreteiros e em afronta aos princípios da dignidade da pessoa humana e valor social do trabalho. O estudo aponta a necessidade de eliminar esse modelo primitivo de trabalho, com substituição dos instrumentos causadores dos desgastes por martelos pneumáticos, o que minimizaria ou até eliminaria o adoecimento dos trabalhadores. A utilização de marreta, instrumento arcaico, gera grave desgaste físico e psicológico ao trabalhador. O tema foi abordado de uma perspectiva interdisciplinar, incluindo a observação do impacto na saúde do trabalhador e os instrumentos jurídicos que respaldam a eliminação de trabalho degradante e em afronta à dignidade da pessoa humana. A metodologia é a de análise bibliográfica em torno do tema e conclui-se que o severo desgaste à saúde do trabalhador, encontra repúdio no texto constitucional, bem como na normatização da Organização Internacional do Trabalho.

This article aims to demonstrate the work in conditions of suffering by workers who use the sledgehammer which is opposite to the principles of the human dignity and the social valueof work. The study points the need of eliminating this primitive model of work, replacing the sledgehammer by pneumatic hammers, which would minimize or even eliminate the illnessof workers. The use of the sledgehammer, an archaic instrument, generates serious injury and psychological damage. The approach of the theme is interdisciplinary, including the impact on worker health and the legal instruments that support the elimination of degrading work that affront human dignity. The methodology is based on literature review about the subject. It concludes that the severe wear to worker’s health meets repudiation in the constitutional texts, as well as in the standardization of International Labor Organization.