Assessing low-back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography-driven trunk models and NIOSH-based risk levels
Workplace injury risk due to physically demanding tasks (e.g., repeated lifting) is currently assessed using ergonomic guidelines. The Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE) is a commonly used approach that assesses risk of low-back loading during different lifting tasks. Advances in musculoskeletal...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1486931/full |
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| author | Mohamed Irfan Refai Tiwana Varrecchia Giorgia Chini Alberto Ranavolo Massimo Sartori |
| author_facet | Mohamed Irfan Refai Tiwana Varrecchia Giorgia Chini Alberto Ranavolo Massimo Sartori |
| author_sort | Mohamed Irfan Refai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Workplace injury risk due to physically demanding tasks (e.g., repeated lifting) is currently assessed using ergonomic guidelines. The Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE) is a commonly used approach that assesses risk of low-back loading during different lifting tasks. Advances in musculoskeletal models have enabled the estimation of physiologically valid person-specific musculoskeletal models (pEMS) driven by surface electromyography and joint angle information. These models offer realistic estimates of objective parameters such as moments and compressive and shear loads at the lumbosacral joint. In this study, we applied both techniques (RNLE and pEMS) to assess risk and low-back loading in seven healthy participants performing lifting tasks at different risk levels. We found that the pEMS estimated objective parameters of low-back loading in line with the different risk levels proposed by RNLE. However, the low-back compressive and shear loads were higher than the limits proposed by the RNLE. Moreover, we show that the lumbosacral compressive loads can be a better parameter to demarcate risk levels. We recommend performing this assessment on a larger and diverse population for evaluation of personalized risk levels across lifting tasks in the industry. These approaches can be implemented with wearable sensorized garments to monitor personalized musculoskeletal health unobtrusively in the workplace providing us a better insight into possibility of individual risk. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5d06668e127940c4b748542aab4e3b47 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-4185 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology |
| spelling | doaj-art-5d06668e127940c4b748542aab4e3b472025-02-07T06:49:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology2296-41852025-02-011310.3389/fbioe.2025.14869311486931Assessing low-back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography-driven trunk models and NIOSH-based risk levelsMohamed Irfan Refai0Tiwana Varrecchia1Giorgia Chini2Alberto Ranavolo3Massimo Sartori4Department of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, NetherlandsDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, National Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, National Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, National Institute for Insurance Against Accidents at Work, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Biomechanical Engineering, University of Twente, Enschede, NetherlandsWorkplace injury risk due to physically demanding tasks (e.g., repeated lifting) is currently assessed using ergonomic guidelines. The Revised NIOSH Lifting Equation (RNLE) is a commonly used approach that assesses risk of low-back loading during different lifting tasks. Advances in musculoskeletal models have enabled the estimation of physiologically valid person-specific musculoskeletal models (pEMS) driven by surface electromyography and joint angle information. These models offer realistic estimates of objective parameters such as moments and compressive and shear loads at the lumbosacral joint. In this study, we applied both techniques (RNLE and pEMS) to assess risk and low-back loading in seven healthy participants performing lifting tasks at different risk levels. We found that the pEMS estimated objective parameters of low-back loading in line with the different risk levels proposed by RNLE. However, the low-back compressive and shear loads were higher than the limits proposed by the RNLE. Moreover, we show that the lumbosacral compressive loads can be a better parameter to demarcate risk levels. We recommend performing this assessment on a larger and diverse population for evaluation of personalized risk levels across lifting tasks in the industry. These approaches can be implemented with wearable sensorized garments to monitor personalized musculoskeletal health unobtrusively in the workplace providing us a better insight into possibility of individual risk.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1486931/fullworkplace musculoskeletal disorderNIOSHmusculoskeletal modellingliftingelectromyography |
| spellingShingle | Mohamed Irfan Refai Tiwana Varrecchia Giorgia Chini Alberto Ranavolo Massimo Sartori Assessing low-back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography-driven trunk models and NIOSH-based risk levels Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology workplace musculoskeletal disorder NIOSH musculoskeletal modelling lifting electromyography |
| title | Assessing low-back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography-driven trunk models and NIOSH-based risk levels |
| title_full | Assessing low-back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography-driven trunk models and NIOSH-based risk levels |
| title_fullStr | Assessing low-back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography-driven trunk models and NIOSH-based risk levels |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessing low-back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography-driven trunk models and NIOSH-based risk levels |
| title_short | Assessing low-back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography-driven trunk models and NIOSH-based risk levels |
| title_sort | assessing low back loading during lifting using personalized electromyography driven trunk models and niosh based risk levels |
| topic | workplace musculoskeletal disorder NIOSH musculoskeletal modelling lifting electromyography |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1486931/full |
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