Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Anna Blaszczyk, Malgorzata B. Ogurkowska
Summary: The aim of this research was to investigate whether ergonomic instruction conducted by a physiotherapist would change the range of motion of the lumbar spine segments and the symmetry of muscle work in the torso and upper limbs of foundry employees. The results showed that ergonomic instruction reduced contralateral muscle imbalance and changed the range of movement in the lumbar spine segments.
Article
Ergonomics
Juan Rabal-Pelay, Cristina Cimarras-Otal, Cesar Berzosa, Marta Bernal-Lafuente, Jose Luis Ballestin-Lopez, Carmen Laguna-Miranda, Juan Luis Planas-Barraguer, Ana Vanessa Bataller-Cervero
Summary: Prolonged sitting during work can lead to changes in spinal alignment, height, and perception of back pain in office workers during a workday.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Alexander T. Peebles, Susanne Van der Veen, Alexander Stamenkovic, James S. Thomas
Summary: In patients with chronic non-specific low back pain, reduced lumbar-hip ratios during reaching tasks and slower reaching times suggest a compensatory movement strategy that may be important in the development and progression of LBP. No significant effects of sex or interactions between group and sex were observed for any outcome.
Review
Rehabilitation
Nur Athirah Abd Rahman, Shuoqi Li, Stefan Schmid, Shazlin Shaharudin
Summary: Chronic non-specific low back pain in adults is associated with biomechanical factors that differ from those in healthy individuals. These factors may be compensatory mechanisms to alleviate pain during motion. This systematic review highlights the biomechanical differences between individuals with non-specific low back pain and healthy adults. These differences can be used for accurate diagnosis and as target interventions for exercise-based treatment.
PHYSICAL THERAPY IN SPORT
(2023)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Sarah Tinitali, Kelly-Ann Bowles, Jennifer L. Keating, Terry Haines
Summary: The review found a possible association between occupational driving posture and low back pain, but the specific postures and strength of this relationship have not been confirmed. Future research needs to use reliable methods to measure occupational driving posture for a better understanding.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Yosuke Tomita, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Akari Shibagaki, Shingo Takahashi, Yoshizo Matsuka
Summary: Few standards and guidelines exist for preventing health problems related to tablet use. This study found that standing posture and tablet inclination significantly reduce spine angles and muscle activities in the neck, trunk, and upper limbs. Sitting posture and flat tablet conditions did not have the same effects. Standing posture and tablet inclination also decreased muscle activities in the back, neck, and trunk, while potentially increasing activity in the shoulder flexors.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Xiangying Zhang, Junming Fan, Tao Peng, Pai Zheng, Xujun Zhang, Renzhong Tang
Summary: Recognizing sitting posture is crucial for preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders in office workers. A deep learning model is proposed to fuse the multimodal data of infrared map and pressure map for accurate recognition while protecting privacy. The model achieves a 93.08% F1-score in experiments with 20 participants, indicating its promising potential for sitting posture-related applications.
SENSORS AND ACTUATORS A-PHYSICAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Andrew D. Hall, Nicholas J. La Delfa, Chris Loma, Jim R. Potvin
Summary: This study compared empirically measured female linear arm strengths with those estimated using the 3D Static Strength Prediction Program (3DSSPP) and found that the errors in 3DSSPP's estimated values were high and poorly correlated with measured strengths, raising serious doubts about the accuracy of 3DSSPP for estimating female linear arm strengths.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Si-Huei Lee, Huey-Wen Liang
Summary: This study compared trunk sway parameters between patients with chronic LBP and controls during sitting and standing, and found that trunk control was impaired in patients with chronic LBP. The results suggest that using sitting posturographic parameters as sensitive measures can detect impaired trunk control in patients with CLBP.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON NEURAL SYSTEMS AND REHABILITATION ENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Alexander Jahn, Johan Hviid Andersen, David Hoyrup Christiansen, Andreas Seidler, Annett Dalboge
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the association between occupational mechanical exposures and chronic low-back pain (LBP). The study found moderate evidence of an association between lifting/carrying loads, non-neutral postures, and combined mechanical exposures with chronic LBP. However, the evidence for whole-body vibrations, standing/walking, and sitting was low or very low. Further research using standardized exposure definitions and measurements is needed.
SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF WORK ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mark Troester, Sarah Budde, Christophe Maufroy, Michael Skipper Andersen, John Rasmussen, Urs Schneider, Thomas Bauernhansl
Summary: Musculoskeletal disorders induced by industrial manual handling tasks are a significant issue, and occupational exoskeletons can provide flexible ergonomic solutions to reduce body stress. Biomechanical models help us understand specific effects and are essential for effective implementation. The analysis shows that exoskeleton support can significantly decrease compression forces during heavy loaded tasks, with asymmetric motions being more relieved than symmetric ones.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Ergonomics
Whitney Brown, Evangelos Pappas, Bridget Foley, Joshua R. Zadro, Kate Edwards, Martin Mackey, Debra Shirley, Alexander Voukelatos, Emmanuel Stamatakis
Summary: This study investigated the effect of different sit-stand workstations on lumbar spine kinematics, lumbar muscle activity, and musculoskeletal pain among office workers. The results showed that sit-stand workstations reduced overall lumbar spine flexion angles during the workday but had no effect on other kinematic measures, lumbar muscle activity, or musculoskeletal pain.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND ERGONOMICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mansour Abdullah Alshehri, Wolbert van den Hoorn, David M. Klyne, Paul W. Hodges
Summary: This paper outlines a protocol for a systematic review with an individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis that aims to synthesize the evidence and evaluate differences of postural control measures between individuals with and without low back pain (LBP) during unstable sitting. The authors plan to conduct a systematic review and IPD meta-analysis according to PRISMA-IPD guidelines, and assess the methodological quality and comprehensiveness of included studies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Qingyang Huang, Xiaoping Jin, Mengyu Gao, Mingyang Guo, Xiaodong Sun, Yuning Wei
Summary: In order to address lumbar spine injuries of tractor drivers, lumbar support devices were added to the tractor. This study aimed to design lumbar supports with different protrusion thicknesses to adjust the load on the operator's lumbar under whole-body vibration. By integrating pressure distribution measurement with subjective assessment, the pressure distribution on the contact surface between drivers and the seat under different conditions were analyzed. The results showed that there was a correlation between pressure distribution indexes and subjective evaluation, indicating that the indexes could objectively reflect ride comfort. The study also found that a 3 cm thick lumbar support did not significantly improve comfort, while a 9 cm thick support exerted too much stress on the waist and worsened lumbar fatigue. Most subjects preferred a thickness of approximately 6 cm for the lumbar supports.
Article
Engineering, Industrial
Danielle M. Vickery-Howe, Jace R. Drain, Anthea C. Clarke, Ben J. Dascombe, Joel T. McWilliam, Kane J. Middleton
Summary: This study compared the physiological and biomechanical responses to treadmill and overground load carriage. While walking kinematics were generally similar between surfaces, there was a greater physiological demand on the treadmill when carrying a load, with higher oxygen consumption, longer stance time, and lower cadence.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Roman Peter Kuster, Christoph Michael Bauer, Daniel Baumgartner
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Roman P. Kuster, Maria Hagstromer, Daniel Baumgartner, Wilhelmus J. A. Grooten
Summary: This study analyzed the concurrent and discriminant validity of commonly used cut-points to measure sedentary behavior, activity level, and posture in office work. The results showed that the validity was higher for activity level compared to sedentary behavior and posture, and cut-points performed better in detecting task effects than workplace effects.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Philipp M. Schmid, Christoph M. Bauer, Markus J. Ernst, Bettina Sommer, Lars Lunenburger, Martin Weisenhorn
Summary: This study introduces a simple biomechanical model for describing head posture and movement relative to the thorax, which achieves high accuracy in identifying and monitoring incorrect head positions. The model's accuracy relies on prior knowledge of the effective neck length, and incorrectly assuming this parameter to be a linear function of palpable neck length can increase measurement error. Despite this, the resulting accuracy is sufficient for detecting and monitoring protracted malpositions of the head relative to the thorax.
Article
Engineering, Industrial
C. M. Bauer, I Nast, M. Scheermesser, R. P. Kuster, D. Textor, M. Wenger, J. Kool, D. Baumgartner
Summary: The study evaluated the usability of T-Chair in stroke rehabilitation, with 64% of physical therapists having a positive view and patients reacting positively and enjoying the training. The chair has the potential to become an effective training tool for stroke patients with intermediate trunk control.
APPLIED ERGONOMICS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Liselot Thijs, Eline Voets, Evelien Wiskerke, Thomas Nauwelaerts, Yves Arys, Harold Haspeslagh, Jan Kool, Patrick Bischof, Christoph Bauer, Robin Lemmens, Daniel Baumgartner, Geert Verheyden
Summary: The study demonstrates that technology-supported sitting balance training is feasible and safe for chronic stroke patients, leading to improvements in trunk function, maximum gait speed, and functional balance after a four-week intervention alongside usual care.
JOURNAL OF NEUROENGINEERING AND REHABILITATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Roman P. Kuster, Wilhelmus J. A. Grooten, Victoria Blom, Daniel Baumgartner, Maria Hagstromer, Orjan Ekblom
Summary: This study found that combining proprietary data with algorithms using sensors can improve the accuracy and precision of sedentary time estimates, reducing the overestimation of sedentary time.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Review
Orthopedics
Esther Franov, Matthias Straub, Christoph M. Bauer, Markus J. Ernst
Summary: Neck pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder, and evaluating the kinematics and movement accuracy characteristics can help tailor exercise programs. This systematic review examined the sensorimotor control in patients with neck pain during head aiming, functional, and unconstrained movement tasks. The findings suggest that patients with neck pain differ from healthy controls in certain characteristics related to sensorimotor control.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Roman P. Kuster, Philip von Rosen, Wilhelmus J. A. Grooten, Ing-Mari Dohrn, Maria Hagstromer
Summary: This study analyzed the association between self-reported and device-measured physical activity and cardiovascular events, finding that MVPA is beneficial for cardiovascular health regardless of the domain in which it occurs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Rehabilitation
Moana Heussler, Jasmin Winter, Sabina Hotz-Boendermaker, Christoph Michael Bauer
Summary: A video-supported system for visual feedback was developed and tested on a person with persistent unspecific lumbar back pain. The system achieved good usability according to the subject's evaluation and the system usability scale (SUS).
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michelle C. Haas, Bettina B. Sommer, Samuel Karrer, Matthias Joerger, Eveline S. Graf, Martin Huber, Daniel Baumgartner, Jens Bansi, Jan Kool, Christoph M. Bauer
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the differences in trunk muscle activity between people after stroke and healthy participants on stable and mobile seats. Results showed that stroke survivors had higher muscle activity in thorax-initiated exercises on a mobile seat, while healthy participants had higher muscle activity in pelvis-initiated exercises. The findings suggest tailored trunk control exercises for different populations on mobile seats to optimize muscle activation.
Review
Orthopedics
Wilhelmus Johannes Andreas Grooten, Carina Bostrom, Asa Dedering, Marie Halvorsen, Roman P. Kuster, Lena Nilsson-Wikmar, Christina B. Olsson, Graciela Rovner, Elena Tseli, Eva Rasmussen-Barr
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types of common exercise used in chronic low back pain (CLBP) on pain and disability. The study found that the effects of various exercise types on pain and disability varied, but there were no major differences between exercise types. Many of the included systematic reviews had low-to-moderate quality and were based on randomized controlled trials with high risk of bias. The conflicting results undermine the certainty of the findings, leading to very low-to-moderate quality of evidence for the results. Future systematic reviews should focus on improving quality to minimize resource waste.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Munkh-Erdene Bayartai, Annika Taulaniemi, Kari Tokola, Henri Vaha-Ypya, Jari Parkkari, Pauliina Husu, Markku Kankaanpaa, Tommi Vasankari, Christoph Michael Bauer, Hannu Luomajoki
Summary: The aim of this study was to examine the associations of spinal kinematics and physical activity (PA) with bodily pain, physical functioning, and work ability among health care workers with low back pain (LBP). The results showed that greater lumbar movement variability/less deterministic lumbar movement was associated with higher amounts of step counts and moderate PA. Higher amounts of PA, as well as less movement control impairment and movement variability, were associated with greater work ability, while greater vigorous PA was the only parameter to explain higher physical functioning. PA and movement variability were relative to each other to explain bodily pain. These findings highlight the importance of considering the interaction between lumbar kinematics and physical activity for improving bodily pain, physical functioning, and work ability among health care workers with LBP.
JOURNAL OF ELECTROMYOGRAPHY AND KINESIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Orthopedics
Eva Rasmussen-Barr, Marie Halvorsen, Tony Bohman, Carina Bostroem, Asa Dedering, Roman P. Kuster, Christina B. Olsson, Graciela Rovner, Elena Tseli, Lena Nilsson-Wikmar, Wilhelmus Johannes Andreas Grooten
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize the literature on the effect of various exercise types used in chronic neck pain and to assess the certainty of the evidence. The study found that motor control exercise, Pilates exercises, resistance training, traditional Chinese exercise, and yoga have short-term positive effects on pain. All exercise types, except resistance training, show positive effects on disability compared to non-exercise controls.
BMC MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Rehabilitation
Sofi Sonesson, Roman Peter Kuster, Joanna Kvist
Summary: Physical activity patterns increased from acute phase to 3 months after non-surgically treated ACL injury, but a significant number of patients did not reach recommended levels. Physical activity did not correlate with knee function or quality of life.
PHYSICAL THERAPY IN SPORT
(2023)
