Evaluation of strategies to improve measurement, evaluation, and force requirements of the spine during manual materials handling tasks

在研究人员能够解决与背部损伤相关的个人特定因果因素之前，我们必须首先开发仪器，方法和统计分析技术。我们特别感兴趣的是制定策略来测量背部受伤前或慢性背部受伤急性发作之间的易感弱点区域。首先，举重技术仍然是一个难以捉摸的诱发因素，下背部受伤。 我们计划使用主成分分析（PCA）和功能数据分析（FDA）来研究负载和性别对举重技术和关节间协调的影响。然后，我们将检查一家工厂的工人，他们每天举起15公斤的箱子大约1000次，以确定是否由于疲劳和非急性腰痛而发生了技术变化。我们假设，性别和负荷将影响提升技术和关节间协调，疲劳和以前的腰痛也将通过PCA和FDA策略明显。其次，我们希望建立一个可靠的动态脊柱稳定性协议方面：i）运动模式和ii）肌肉活动，然后iii）检查健康个体的反应，在扰动测试相同的变量。这些数据将帮助我们建立一个规范的数据库，作为脊柱不稳患者的对照。总之，这些研究将提供一个更好的了解运动模式和运动模式的变化，可能有助于下背部残疾。 我们的最后一个目标是开发一个累积负荷测量系统，以确定在延长的时间段内佩戴人体上的个人升降辅助设备（PLAD）的影响。 这一目标需要两个硬件组件的建设和验证，可以集成到PLAD中，即：一个负载的手微处理器和PLAD弹簧测量工具，可用于计算力和力矩在L4/L5光盘。我们已经证明PLAD短期使用有效，目前正在进行用户可接受性试验。通过开发一个有效的测量系统，我们将能够确定PLAD是否可以减少手动操作任务中背部损伤的发生率或复发率。

Before researchers can address person-specific causal factors related to back injuries, we must first develop instrumentation, methodologies, and statistical analysis techniques. We are especially interested in developing strategies to measure predisposing areas of weakness before a back injury or between acute episodes of a chronic back injury. First, lifting technique remains elusive as a predisposing factor to low back injury. We plan to examine the impact of load and gender on lifting technique and inter-joint coordination using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and Functional Data Analysis (FDA). Then, we will examine workers in an industrial plant who lift 15 kg boxes approximately 1000 times per day to determine if changes have occurred in technique due to fatigue and non-acute low back pain. We hypothesize that gender and load will affect both lifting technique and inter-joint coordination and that both fatigue and previous low back pain will also be evident though PCA and FDA strategies. Second, we wish to establish a reliable dynamic spinal stability protocol in terms of: i) movement patterns and ii) muscular activity, and then iii) examine healthy individuals' responses to the same variables during a perturbation test. These data will help us establish a normative database as a comparator for those who have spinal instability. Together, these studies will provide a better understanding of movement patterns and changes in movement patterns that may contribute to low back disability. Our last objective is to develop a cumulative loading measurement system to determine the effects of wearing an on-body personal lift assistive device (PLAD) over extended periods of time. This objective requires the construction and validation of two hardware components that can be integrated into the PLAD, namely: a load-in-hands microprocessor and a PLAD spring measurement tool, which can be used to calculate the forces and moments at the L4/L5 disc. We have proven PLAD to be effective for short term use and it is currently undergoing user-acceptability trials. By developing a valid measurement system, we will be able to determine if PLAD can reduce the incidence of onset or recurrence of back injuries in manual handling tasks.