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开发策略，以测量背部损伤之前或慢性背部损伤急性发作之间的弱点易感区域。首先，举重技术作为腰背部损伤的诱发因素仍然难以捉摸。我们计划使用主成分分析（PCA）和功能数据分析（FDA）来检验载荷和性别对举重技术和关节间协调的影响。然后，我们将检查一个工业工厂的工人，他们每天举起15公斤的箱子大约1000次，以确定由于疲劳和非急性腰痛，技术上是否发生了变化。我们假设性别和负荷会影响举举技术和关节间协调，疲劳和以前的腰痛也会通过PCA和FDA策略显现。其次，我们希望在以下方面建立一个可靠的动态脊柱稳定性方案：i)运动模式和ii)肌肉活动，然后iii)在扰动测试中检查健康个体对相同变量的反应。这些数据将帮助我们建立一个规范的数据库，作为脊柱不稳定患者的比较。总之，这些研究将更好地理解运动模式和运动模式的变化可能会导致腰背部残疾。我们的最后一个目标是开发一个累积负荷测量系统，以确定长时间佩戴个人升降辅助装置（PLAD）的效果。该目标需要构建和验证可集成到PLAD中的两个硬件组件，即：手持微处理器和PLAD弹簧测量工具，可用于计算L4/L5盘的力和力矩。我们已经证明PLAD短期使用是有效的，目前正在进行用户可接受的试验。通过开发一个有效的测量系统，我们将能够确定PLAD是否可以减少手工处理任务中背部损伤的发生率或复发。

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.