Musculoskeletal Disorders among Fourth- and Fifth-Year Clinical Dental Students at the Universidad de Panamá

Abstract

Background: Dental clinical training requires sustained postures and repetitive precision movements that may contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) before professional practice begins.
Objective: To estimate MSD prevalence and characterize anatomical distribution, symptom duration and intensity, functional impact, orthopedic diagnostic groupings, perceived contributors, and differences by sex and clinical cycle among fourth- and fifth-year clinical dental students.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional census study was conducted at the Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Panamá, during the first academic semester of 2026. The Standardized Nordic Questionnaire was administered to eligible students, open-ended responses were categorized, and questionnaire findings were reviewed by an orthopedic specialist. Descriptive statistics, the chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test were used.
Results: Data from 78 students were analyzed; 64 (82.1%) were women. Overall, 77 students (98.7%) reported at least one musculoskeletal complaint. The dorsal/lumbar region (71.8%), neck (71.4%), and wrist/hand (59.0%) were most frequently affected. Wrist/hand (15.4%) and neck symptoms (14.3%) most often led to activity suspension. Cervical (50.0%), dorsal/lumbar (46.2%), and wrist disorders (35.9%) were the most frequent presumptive orthopedic groups. Dorsal/lumbar complaints differed by clinical cycle (χ² = 7.24; p = 0.027), whereas global MSD presence did not differ by sex (Fisher's exact p = 1.000). Poor posture, working position, or inadequate ergonomics was cited by 75.6% of students.
Conclusion: Musculoskeletal complaints were nearly universal in this census and showed a consistent cervical, dorsal/lumbar, and wrist/hand pattern. Because the cross-sectional design cannot establish causality, the findings support prospective ergonomic surveillance, direct observation of clinical posture, equipment adjustment, active-break protocols, and a formal referral pathway rather than claims that clinical training alone caused the disorders.