The Low Back Cumulative Trauma Index: A Fatigue-Failure Based Risk Assessment Tool

Details

• Personal Author:
  Davis GA ; Gallagher S ; Schall MC ; Sesek RF
• Description:
  The goal of the research performed on this grant was twofold: The first aim was to evaluate the accuracy of estimated 3D L5/S1 moments occurring during manual lifting tasks using a wearable inertial motion capture (IMC) system. A total of 36 subjects performed tasks consisting of lifting and lowering one of three loads (10, 20, and 30 lbs.) to one of three different heights (60, 100, and 140 cm) and three different asymmetry angles (0 degrees, 30 degrees, and 60 degrees). The root means square errors (RMSE) and absolute peak errors (Ranges) between models were compared as a measure of system performance. A Randomized Block Partially Confounded design was used, comparing the means and the absolute peaks (ranges) of the estimated moments between the IMC system and the OMC reference system. Averaged over subject and trials, L5/S1 moment RMS errors remained around 15 to 20 Nm, while the peak moment differences observed were 10 to 15% between the OMC and IMC-based models for both lifting and lowering tasks. In conclusion, a close correspondence was found between the IMC-based and laboratory-based backload estimates. The second aim was to perform a field study which aimed to develop a systematic data processing framework that uses fatigue failure theory as the core method in estimating cumulative exposure with the ability to use continuous low-back loading information captured by Inertial Measurement Units (IMU) technology. Eight workers from an automotive manufacturing facility volunteered as participants, while they performed their regular work; L5/S1 moments were calculated using a top-down approach from a biomechanical model based on IMUs. A total of 108 trials were evaluated. Each trial corresponded to one complete working cycle of a specific car model at a particular workstation. Low back injury recorded data provided by the company and self-reported injuries from surveys completed by the workers were compared against the model predicted risk using chi-square tests. As far as the authors know, this is the first attempt at estimating continuously accruing cumulative damage using a fatigue failure-based approach. The initial results are promising, as the estimates of risk from the cumulative damage total showed a significant association with self-reported low back pain (x2 (df = 1, n = 108) = 5.01, p-value = 0.024), and with the low back injuries reported by the manufacturer (x2 (df = 1, n = 108) = 12.65, p-value < 0.001). The results of this study provide additional evidence that musculoskeletal disorders are the results of a fatigue failure process and provides the first (to our knowledge) method of assessing cumulative damage using continuous loading data. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Biomechanical Phenomena Fatigue Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Back Injuries Biomechanical Modeling Biomechanics Cumulative Trauma Low Back Disorders Manual Lifting Motion Studies MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Risk Assessment
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Alabama ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-89
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068321
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R21-OH-011208, 2022 Sep; :1-89
• Contact Point Address:
  Sean Gallagher, PhD, Auburn University at Auburn, VPRED, Research & Innovation Center 540 Devall Drive, Suite 200, Auburn, AL 36832-5888
• Email:
  szg0036@auburn.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• Performing Organization:
  Auburn University at Auburn
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20180901
• Source Full Name:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• End Date:
  20200831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:41d59df26af308f4dce3d9f2824a6ac40070b5c7a34dcbe61664327e8afe8f018233bfd1871dc064dced4c0ba5895272bb6114f7c5ea0324404a9e58a95663b4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/219211/cdc_219211_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 4.46 MB ]