Affiliations: Department of Industrial Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: Fereydoun Aghazadeh, Industrial Engineering Department, 3128 CEBA Building, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. E-mail: aghazadeh@lsu.edu
Abstract: In this investigation posture restriction caused by back belt is studied. Two-dimensional kinematic data was collected from ten participants using nine marker positions. Angular displacement of nine body angles was compared. Effect of the back belt on the lifting posture was studied using postural index values and kinematic relationship hypothesis. Influence of back belt on the lifting technique throughout a lift was understood using the concept of interjoint coordination. Out of the nine body joint angles, five showed decreased flexion, three increased flexion and the remaining one showed no change in the flexion values. Kinematic relationship was found to exist between hip, knee, trunk and lumbar-thoracic joint. The behavior of postural index values supported the kinematic relationship hypothesis. The back belt affected the proximal to distal interjoint coordination between hip, knee, trunk and lumbar-thoracic joint, thus disturbing the natural style of lifting.
Keywords: Back belt, biomechanics, postural index, interjoint coordination, kinematic relationship
