Mutua Navarra has taken a major step in technological innovation for occupational health with the opening of their new biomechanics laboratory at their Landaben facility. This space is designed to assess, measure, and enhance the recovery of patients who have suffered workplace accidents that caused loss of mobility or functional limitations.
The laboratory combines state-of-the-art equipment with an evidence-based approach, enabling more precise diagnoses, more effective treatments, and faster rehabilitation processes. It also reflects Mutua Navarra’s long-term investment in improving occupational health services, having invested €20 million in upgrading their facilities over the past decade.
Why a biomechanics laboratory?
In occupational rehabilitation, one of the biggest challenges is to help workers regain their functional capacity as quickly and safely as possible. The physical aftermath of workplace accidents often limits mobility and makes returning to work difficult.
The biomechanics lab enables an objective and detailed evaluation of the patient’s functional status. Based on this data, personalized treatments can be designed. Professionals can analyze the necessary adjustments to foster recovery and objectively measure the effectiveness of rehabilitation treatments.
In Mutua Navarra’s own words:
“It helps us establish an optimal recovery process or develop a protocol based on the latest scientific evidence, which allows us to focus and guide the treatment, ensuring effectiveness and shortening recovery times.”
Technology at the service of patients
The new lab is equipped with advanced systems that enable comprehensive analysis of movement, strength, stability, and muscle activation. It also incorporates a groundbreaking anti-gravity treadmill, which can reduce the effective weight of the patient by up to 80%, making it especially useful during the early stages of rehabilitation.
Below are some of the key technologies installed:
3D motion capture: Records and analyzes patient movements in three dimensions with high precision, detecting asymmetries, compensations, or joint limitations.
Surface electromyography: Measures the electrical activity of muscles as the patient performs specific movements, providing essential information about muscle quality and coordination.
Pressure and force platforms: Assess load distribution, balance, and the force exerted by the patient on each support, all fundamental for functional recovery and preventing relapses.
Dynamometer and isokinetics: Measure muscle strength in different groups and ranges of motion, key to understanding the patient’s true physical capacity.
Inertial sensors: Provide precise real-time data on acceleration, speed, and movement patterns — even outside the lab if needed.
Anti-gravity treadmill: Reduces weight-bearing stress, facilitating gait training and mobility exercises during the critical early recovery phase.
This suite of tools allows a holistic and objective evaluation of the patient’s physical state, helping physiotherapists and physicians design optimal, evidence-based treatment plans.
Benefits for patients and companies
The impact of this lab goes beyond the individual patient. For companies, reducing sick leave duration and ensuring a safe return to work improves productivity and reduces costs associated with temporary or long-term incapacity.
For patients, the main benefit is regaining their functional capacity more quickly and safely, knowing their treatment is based on objective data and the latest scientific evidence.
A commitment to innovation in occupational health
The opening of this lab at Mutua Navarra reflects its ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence in occupational health services, offering workers and companies a pioneering facility that sets new standards in rehabilitation quality and efficiency. As Juan Manuel Gorostiaga, general manager of Mutua Navarra, said:
“We are determined to achieve full recovery of the worker with no sequelae, in the minimum time possible, with measurable and objective criteria.”
This project has also received the support and recognition of regional authorities and industry leaders, underlining its importance for the local economy and workforce.
Ready to upgrade your rehabilitation facility?
If you’d like to bring the same level of innovation, objectivity, and effectiveness to your hospital, clinic, or occupational health center, get in touch with STT Systems today.
We provide the advanced biomechanical technology and expertise behind pioneering facilities like Mutua Navarra’s biomechanics laboratory — helping you deliver better care, improve outcomes, and stay at the forefront of rehabilitation.
Contact us to send us a message and discuss your project. Let’s make your vision a reality!