Short-Term Effects of a Passive Spinal Exoskeleton on Functional Performance, Discomfort and User Satisfaction in Patients with Low Back Pain
Short-Term Effects of a Passive Spinal Exoskeleton on Functional Performance, Discomfort and User Satisfaction in Patients with Low Back Pain
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DOI：
10.1007/s10926-020-09899-7
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发表时间：
2020-04-30
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Sarabon, Nejc
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kozinc, Ziga;Baltrusch, Saskia;Sarabon, Nejc
目的 腰痛 (LBP) 仍然是全球主要的医疗保健问题。最近，脊柱外骨骼被提议作为一种潜在有用的解决方案，用于预防 LBP 和进行重物举重、重复运动或长时间静态工作的人员的职业重新融入。本研究的目的是调查 LBP 患者对新型被动 SPEXOR 外骨骼在功能表现、不适感和一般用户印象方面的反应。方法 14 名患有低至中度腰痛（0-10 分制为 2-7）的患者在使用和不使用外骨骼的情况下执行了 12 项功能任务。除了客观表现测量之外，参与者还以 0-10 视觉模拟量表主观评估局部腰部不适、任务难度和全身不适的程度。结果 SPEXOR 外骨骼对长时间静态前屈时的表现和局部不适有良好的影响。观察到坐站和爬梯任务的表现略有下降。与外骨骼相关的不适感一般为低至中度（中位数 < 4），但 6 分钟步行测试（中位数 = 4.5）除外，这可能是由于设备的重量和上肢运动受阻所致。参与者报告的总体印象大多是积极的，具有良好的可调节性、对运动的干扰低和适度的支持。结论 SPEXOR 外骨骼对于 LBP 的预防或管理可能有用，但是，需要进一步改进以在重物举起过程中提供更高水平的支持。
Purpose Low back pain (LBP) remains a major worldwide healthcare issue. Recently, spinal exoskeletons were proposed as a potentially useful solution for LBP prevention and vocational reintegration for people who perform heavy load lifting, repetitive movements or work in prolonged static postures. The purpose of this study was to investigate how patients with LBP respond to the novel passive SPEXOR exoskeleton regarding functional performance, discomfort and general user impression. Methods Fourteen patients, with low to moderate LBP (2-7 on a 0-10 scale), performed 12 functional tasks with and without the exoskeleton. In addition to objective performance measures, participants subjectively assessed the level of local low back discomfort, task difficulty and general discomfort on a 0-10 visual analogue scales. Results The SPEXOR exoskeleton had favourable effects on performance and local discomfort during prolonged static forward bending. Minor reductions in performance were observed for sit-stand and ladder climbing tasks. The discomfort associated with the exoskeleton was generally low to moderate (median < 4), except for the 6-min walk test (median = 4.5), which is likely due to the weight of the device and obstruction of upper limb movement. The general impressions were mostly positive, with good adjustability, low interference with the movement and moderate support reported by the participants. Conclusion The SPEXOR exoskeleton is potentially useful for LBP prevention or management, however, further improvements are needed to provide higher levels support during heavy load lifting.