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. 2022 Mar 9;19(6):3207.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19063207.

Influence of Load Knowledge on Biomechanics of Asymmetric Lifting

Junshi Liu  1   2 , Xingda Qu  1 , Yipeng Liu  1
Affiliations

Influence of Load Knowledge on Biomechanics of Asymmetric Lifting

Junshi Liu et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Load knowledge has been identified as a factor affecting the risk of low back pain (LBP) during symmetric lifting. However, the effects of load knowledge in asymmetric lifting tasks have not been reported yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the load knowledge influence on lifting biomechanics in asymmetric lifting tasks; Methods: Twenty-four male adults were recruited to complete a psychophysical lifting capacity test and a simulated asymmetric lifting task. The lifting task was set with load knowledge of 'no knowledge' (NK), 'weight known' (WK), 'fragile material known' (FK), and 'weight and fragile material known' (WFK) for different lifting load weights. Trunk kinematics and kinetics were collected and analyzed; Results: When fragility information was presented, trunk sagittal flexion acceleration, lateral flexion velocity and acceleration, and average lateral bending moment were significantly lowered at the deposit phase. Lifting a high load weight was found to significantly increase low back sagittal bending moment at the lifting phase and low back moments of all three dimensions at the deposit phase; Conclusions: The decrease of trunk kinematic load suggests that providing material fragility information to workers in asymmetric lifting tasks would be effective in reducing their risk of LBP.

Keywords: asymmetric lifting; biomechanics; load knowledge; low back pain.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A participant performing the asymmetric lifting task.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The lifting boxes used in each load knowledge condition. (a) NK: no knowledge; (b) WK: weight known; (c) FK: fragile material known; (d) WFK: weight and fragile material known.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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