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Biomedical subjects

S A Lavender

Publications and source records attributed to S A Lavender.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Trunk muscle cocontraction: the effects of moment direction and moment magnitude.

This study investigated the cocontraction of eight trunk muscles during the application of asymmetric loads to the torso. External moments of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 Nm were applied to the torso via a harness system. The direction of the applied moment was varied by 30 degrees increments to the subjects' right side between the sagittally symmetric orientations front and rear. Electromyographic (EMG) data from the left and right latissimus dorsi, erector spinae, external oblique, and rectus abdominus were collected from 10 subjects. The normalized EMG data were tested using multivariate and univariate analyses of variance procedures. These analyses showed significant interactions between the moment magnitude and the moment direction for seven of the eight muscles. Most of the interactions could be characterized as due to changes in muscle recruitment with changes in the direction of the external moment. Analysis of the relative activation levels, which were computed for each combination of moment magnitude and direction, indicated large changes in muscle recruitment due to asymmetry, but only small adjustments in the relative activation levels due to increased moment magnitude.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Coactivation of the trunk muscles during asymmetric loading of the torso.

Materials handling tasks in industry are rarely performed in the midsagittal plane. Often these tasks, labeled nonsagittally symmetric or asymmetric lifting tasks, can be expected to lead to an unequal distribution of forces between the left and right sides of the body. Because of the large number of muscles capable of resisting loads in the torso, researchers are forced to make simplifications when using biomechanical models to estimate mechanical loading of the spine during such tasks. Simplifications and assumptions regarding the coactivation of antagonistic muscles are frequently used because sufficient experimental data do not exist. The present study was designed to quantify coactivation of the trunk musculature in response to applied asymmetric loads. This load was varied in direction from an anterior midsagittal plane orientation to a posterior midsagittal plane orientation in 15-deg increments. The results showed little coactivation when the applied load directions were anterior and within 45 deg of the midsagittal orientation. When load directions were greater than 45 deg, coactivation was quantifiable in ipsilateral and posterior muscle groups.

Electromyography↗
PubMed1991

The effects of method of use, tool design, and roof height on trunk muscle activities during underground scaling bar use.

Epidemiologic studies have shown that the scaling bar, a hand tool used in underground mining, is frequently associated with the risk of back injury. An experiment was performed to investigate the effects of method of tool use, mine roof height, and tool design upon the activity of six trunk muscles and the ability to exert force with the bar. Roof height and scaling bar design had the largest effects on levels of muscle activation. Striking force did not differ significantly between tool designs. A biomechanical model was used to evaluate the collective effects of the trunk musculature activities upon spine loading. It was found that a significant reduction in predicted spine compression and shear forces can be achieved through the use of a counterbalanced scaling bar. The implications of these results are discussed.

Back Pain↗
PubMed1989

The effects of preview and task symmetry on trunk muscle response to sudden loading.

The effect of warning time (preview) and task symmetry on the trunk muscular response to sudden loading conditions was investigated. Eleven subjects were asked to catch falling weights with four levels of preview (0, 100, 200, and 400 ms) in saggitally symmetric posture and asymmetric posture. For each of the eight muscles sampled with surface electrodes, the integrated electromyographic (EMG) signal was interpreted in terms of its peak value, mean value, onset rate, and lead/lag time with reference to the weight drop. Results show linear relationships between preview times and peak EMG, preview times and mean EMG, and preview times and lead times. The results show significant change when going from symmetric to asymmetric conditions across most dependent measures. Analysis of peak changes in compression were performed across all conditions but yielded unexpected results.

Adult↗