Posture and ergonomics

30 Gulf Prometric Physiotherapist (DHA, DOH, MOH, SCFHS, QCHP) practice questions on Posture and ergonomics, part of Kinesiology, Biomechanics and Ergonomics. The first 25 are below; the first 5 with answers and explanations (tap Show answer after you have chosen), the rest in Learn with a free account.

1. Question 1 · Medium

   In which posture is the pressure inside the lumbar disc highest?

   1. ALying supine
   2. BSlouched sitting without support
   3. CStanding upright
   4. DSitting upright with lumbar support

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   Answer: B · Slouched sitting without support

   Studies of intradiscal pressure show that it is lowest in supine lying and rises in standing. Unsupported sitting, especially slouched, gives still higher values, and forward bending with a load gives the highest. Lumbar support reduces the pressure of sitting.

   • A: Supine lying gives the lowest pressure.
   • C: Standing is the reference level.
   • D: Supported upright sitting lowers disc pressure compared with slouching.

   Remember this

   Intradiscal pressure is lowest in supine lying and rises with unsupported and slouched sitting.

2. Question 2 · Medium

   A worker must move a heavy trolley along a corridor. Which technique is best?

   1. APull it with the trunk twisted
   2. BPush it with the arms only, keeping the feet still
   3. CPull it backward while walking
   4. DPush it, keeping the back neutral and using the body weight

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   Answer: D · Push it, keeping the back neutral and using the body weight

   Pushing allows the legs and body weight to supply the force and keeps the spine in a more neutral position, and the worker can see where they are going. Pulling often needs trunk rotation and puts more strain on the shoulders and back.

   • A: Twisting while pulling loads the lumbar spine.
   • B: Pushing with the arms alone fails to use the body weight.
   • C: Pulling backwards is less stable and may need trunk twisting.

   Remember this

   Push, rather than pull, heavy loads using body weight with a neutral spine.

3. Question 3 · Easy

   In the hierarchy of controls for reducing workplace injury risk, which approach is the most effective?

   1. AUsing personal protective equipment
   2. BAdministrative controls
   3. CGiving instruction on posture
   4. DEliminating the hazard

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   Answer: D · Eliminating the hazard

   The hierarchy of controls ranks elimination of the hazard first, then substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and finally personal protective equipment. Methods that depend on worker behaviour are less reliable than removing the risk.

   • A: PPE is the least effective level.
   • B: Administrative controls rank below engineering controls.
   • C: Education alone depends on behaviour and is weak.

   Remember this

   The hierarchy of controls ranks elimination first and PPE last.

4. Question 4 · Hard

   In a Sharjah factory, one worker assembles small electronic parts that need close visual control, while another packs heavy cartons. How should their standing bench heights relate to elbow height?

   1. ABoth benches set exactly at the workers' elbow height
   2. BBoth benches set 20 to 30 cm below elbow height
   3. CPrecision bench well below elbow height; heavy-work bench above it
   4. DPrecision bench slightly above elbow height; heavy-work bench well below it

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   Answer: D · Precision bench slightly above elbow height; heavy-work bench well below it

   Precision work is done slightly above elbow height, often with arm support, so that the eyes are close to the task without neck flexion. Heavy work is done well below elbow height, roughly 15 to 40 cm, so that body weight and the stronger arm muscles can be used. Light work is done just below elbow height.

   • A: One height does not suit tasks with very different visual and force demands.
   • B: A low bench makes fine work hard to see and causes neck and trunk flexion.
   • C: This reverses the rule and would force neck flexion for the fine task and raised arms for heavy work.

   Remember this

   Standing bench height follows the task: precision above, light just below, heavy well below elbow height.

5. Question 5 · Medium

   A wheelchair is being fitted for a patient whose measured hip width is 40 cm. Which seat width is generally recommended?

   1. AAbout 50 cm
   2. BAbout 45 cm
   3. CAbout 35 cm
   4. DAbout 40 cm

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   Answer: B · About 45 cm

   The usual rule is hip width plus about 5 cm (2 inches) in total, so 2.5 cm on each side. This allows clothing and pressure relief without a gap that lets the pelvis slide. A narrow seat produces pressure on the greater trochanters.

   • A: 50 cm is too wide and encourages leaning to one side.
   • C: 35 cm is narrower than the hips.
   • D: 40 cm gives no allowance and presses on the trochanters.

   Remember this

   Wheelchair seat width equals hip width plus about 5 cm.

6. Question 6 · Hard

   For a lift, the NIOSH recommended weight limit is calculated from a load constant of 23 kg and multipliers of 0.50 (horizontal), 0.90 (vertical), 0.95 (distance), 1.0 (asymmetry), 0.85 (frequency) and 1.0 (coupling). The actual load is 12.5 kg. What are the lifting index and the interpretation?

   1. A2.2: the task exceeds the limit by more than a factor of two
   2. B0.67: the task is within the recommended limit
   3. C1.0: the task is exactly at the limit
   4. D1.5: the task exceeds the recommended limit

   Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

7. Question 7 · Medium

   A therapist adjusts a workstation for an office worker in Riyadh. Which keyboard set-up best protects the wrists?

   1. AKeyboard above elbow height with the wrists extended
   2. BKeyboard on the lap with the wrists flexed
   3. CKeyboard at elbow height with the wrists neutral
   4. DKeyboard raised with its rear feet to tilt it upward

   Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

8. Question 8 · Medium

   Which advice best reduces the static postural load in a worker who sits all day?

   1. AChange position often and take short movement breaks every 30 to 60 minutes
   2. BHold one fixed upright position as long as possible
   3. CSlouch so that the muscles can relax
   4. DWork only in standing

   Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

9. Question 9 · Medium

   A student in Doha has a forward head posture and rounded shoulders typical of upper crossed syndrome. Which muscle is typically weak?

   1. AUpper trapezius
   2. BPectoralis major
   3. CDeep cervical flexors
   4. DLevator scapulae

   Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

10. Question 10 · Easy

    Where should the top of a computer monitor be placed for a desk worker?

    1. AWell above eye level
    2. BAt chest height on the desk
    3. CTo the side at head level
    4. DAt or slightly below eye level

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

11. Question 11 · Medium

    For which situation is the three-point crutch gait most appropriate?

    1. AWeakness of both legs with poor balance
    2. BNon-weight-bearing on one leg after a fracture fixation
    3. CFull weight-bearing on both legs
    4. DParkinsonian festination

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12. Question 12 · Medium

    A schoolgirl bends forward and the therapist sees a rib prominence on the right side. What does this finding indicate?

    1. AScheuermann kyphosis
    2. BA structural scoliosis with vertebral rotation
    3. CA functional scoliosis due to leg length difference
    4. DNormal asymmetry

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

13. Question 13 · Hard

    A 13-year-old girl has a right thoracic rib hump on forward bending, and a scoliometer reads 8 degrees of trunk rotation. What is the best next step?

    1. AArrange an urgent MRI of the whole brain
    2. BReassure the family and review in a year
    3. CRefer for a standing spine radiograph (Cobb angle)
    4. DStart night-time bracing straight away

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

14. Question 14 · Hard

    A ramp is planned for a wheelchair user's home entrance, which is 60 cm above the path. Using the common 1:12 gradient standard, what is the minimum ramp run?

    1. A5.0 m
    2. B7.2 m
    3. C6.0 m
    4. D3.6 m

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

15. Question 15 · Medium

    How is the ideal wheelchair seat depth usually calculated?

    1. ABack of the buttock to the back of the knee, minus about 5 cm
    2. BBack of the buttock to the front of the knee
    3. CBack of the buttock to the heel
    4. DHip width plus 5 cm

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

16. Question 16 · Hard

    A worker holds a 20 kg box 40 cm in front of the L5-S1 axis. The erector spinae act at 5 cm behind the axis. Ignoring trunk weight and taking g as 9.8 m/s2, what erector spinae force is needed, and what would it be if the box were held 10 cm from the axis?

    1. AAbout 780 N, falling to about 390 N
    2. BAbout 1,570 N, falling to about 390 N
    3. CAbout 3,140 N, falling to about 780 N
    4. DAbout 390 N, falling to about 100 N

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

17. Question 17 · Medium

    A patient shows an anterior pelvic tilt with increased lumbar lordosis (lower crossed pattern). Which muscles are typically tight?

    1. AAbdominals and gluteals
    2. BHamstrings and abdominals
    3. CHip flexors and lumbar erector spinae
    4. DGluteus maximus and hamstrings

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

18. Question 18 · Medium

    What is the correct seat height for a desk chair for a typical user?

    1. AFeet flat on the floor with the knees and hips at about 90 degrees
    2. BFeet dangling with the thighs sloping downward
    3. CKnees well above the hips
    4. DFeet tucked under the seat

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

19. Question 19 · Hard

    A patient is 170 cm tall. Using the common rule of thumb of height minus about 40 cm, what is the approximate length of the axillary crutches?

    1. AAbout 110 cm
    2. BAbout 150 cm
    3. CAbout 130 cm
    4. DAbout 170 cm

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

20. Question 20 · Medium

    How much clearance should there be between the front edge of a work chair seat and the back of the knee?

    1. ANo gap, the seat touching the knee
    2. BAbout 15 cm
    3. CAt least 20 cm
    4. DAbout 2 to 3 finger widths

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

21. Question 21 · Medium

    In the metric NIOSH lifting equation the horizontal multiplier is 25 / H, with H in centimetres. A worker holds a box 50 cm in front of the ankles. What is the horizontal multiplier?

    1. A1.0
    2. B2.0
    3. C0.25
    4. D0.50

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22. Question 22 · Medium

    How is the height of a standard walker set for a patient?

    1. AGrips at the greater trochanter, elbows flexed 20 to 30 degrees
    2. BGrips at knee height, with the trunk flexed forward
    3. CGrips at the xiphoid process, elbows fully extended
    4. DGrips at the axilla, with the shoulders elevated

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

23. Question 23 · Easy

    A patient with a weak right leg uses a walking cane. In which hand should the cane be held?

    1. ABoth hands, holding it in the middle
    2. BThe left hand
    3. CThe right hand
    4. DEither hand, according to preference

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

24. Question 24 · Medium

    A patient using a cane after a right ankle fracture goes up the stairs. Which sequence is correct?

    1. ARight (injured) leg first, then the sound leg
    2. BLeft (sound) leg first, then right leg with the cane
    3. CCane first, then both legs together
    4. DBoth legs together, then the cane

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

25. Question 25 · Medium

    A nurse in a Riyadh ICU turns and transfers dependent patients many times a day and has low back pain. Which is the best ergonomic strategy?

    1. AWear a lumbar belt during every transfer
    2. BUse mechanical lifts and slide sheets instead of manual lifting
    3. CLift only with the knees bent
    4. DAsk the patient to help in all transfers

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account