Are knee savers and knee pads a viable intervention to reduce lower extremity musculoskeletal disorder risk in residential roofers?

One factor commonly associated with musculoskeletal disorder risk is extreme postures. To lessen this risk, individuals must be in an as neutral posture as possible while working. We analyzed how the inclusion of different combinations of two interventions-knee pads and knee savers-can alter lower extremity kinematics during deep or near full flexion kneeling occurs while on different sloped surfaces. Nine male subjects were requested to keep a typical resting posture while kneeling on sloped roofing simulator. We observed that the introduction of a wearable third party device considerably altered lower extremity full flexion kneeling kinematics compared to level deep kneeling. This study provided a sound base for the use of third party devices to reduce musculoskeletal disorder risk on a sloped surface, however further testing with other musculoskeletal disorder risk factors is needed prior to conclusive recommendation.