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. 2006 Aug;15(8):1265-75.
doi: 10.1007/s00586-005-0012-9. Epub 2005 Dec 7.

Role of intra-abdominal pressure in the unloading and stabilization of the human spine during static lifting tasks

N Arjmand  1 , A Shirazi-Adl
Affiliations

Role of intra-abdominal pressure in the unloading and stabilization of the human spine during static lifting tasks

N Arjmand et al. Eur Spine J. 2006 Aug.

Abstract

The role of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in unloading the spine has remained controversial. In the current study, a novel kinematics-based approach along with a nonlinear finite-element model were iteratively used to calculate muscle forces, spinal loads, and stability margin under prescribed postures and loads measured in in vivo studies. Four coactivity levels (none, low, moderate, and high) of abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis, external oblique, and internal oblique) were considered concurrently with a raise in IAP from 0 to 4 kPa when lifting a load of 180 N in upright standing posture and to 9 kPa when lifting the same load in forward trunk flexions of 40 degrees and 65 degrees. For comparison, reference cases with neither abdominal coactivity nor IAP were investigated as well. A raise in IAP unloaded and stabilized the spine when no coactivity was considered in the foregoing abdominal muscles for all lifting tasks regardless of the posture considered. In the upright standing posture, the unloading action of IAP faded away even in the presence of low level of abdominal coactivity while its stabilizing action continued to improve as abdominal coactivity increased to moderate and high levels. For lifting in forward-flexed postures, the unloading action of IAP disappeared only with high level of abdominal coactivities while its stabilizing action deteriorated as abdominal coactivities increased. The unloading and stabilizing actions of IAP, hence, appear to be posture and task specific.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The FE model as well as global and local musculatures in the sagittal and frontal planes (only fascicles on one side have been shown). ICPL iliocostalis lumborum pars lumborum, ICPT iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracic, IP iliopsoas, LGPL longissimus thoracis pars lumborum, LGPT longissimus thoracis pars thoracic, MF multifidus, QL quadratus lumborum, IO internal oblique, EO external oblique, and RA rectus abdominus
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Axial compression (N) acting normal to different intervertebral disc levels (T12/S1) in reference cases (no IAP and no abdominal coactivity) and four cases with different abdominal coactivities along with IAP of 4 kPa when lifting a load of 180 N in upright standing posture and of 9 kPa when lifting the same load in forward trunk flexions of 40° and 65°
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Anterior–posterior shear force (N) acting parallel to mid-planes of different intervertebral disc levels (T12/S1) in reference cases (no IAP and no abdominal coactivity) and four cases with different abdominal coactivities along with IAP of 4 kPa when lifting a load of 180 N in upright standing posture and of 9 kPa when lifting the same load in forward trunk flexions of 40° and 65° °
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Normalized in vivo measured EMG activity (mean ± SD) of thoracic extensor muscles (LGPT and ICPT) for different lifting tasks. Predictions have also been shown in reference cases (no IAP and no abdominal coactivity) and four cases with different abdominal coactivities along with IAP of 4 kPa when lifting a load of 180 N in upright standing posture and of 9 kPa when lifting the same load in forward trunk flexions of 40° and 65°
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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