Muscle activity and low back loads under external shear and compressive loading.
METHODS
This study analyzed anatomic and neural control characteristics of the trunk musculature. Subjects were exposed to external shear and compressive loads with equivalent moments to evaluate activation patterns and loading on the low back.


OBJECTIVE
The migration of activity between the thoracic and lumbar erector spinae muscle groups was examined to determine whether the motor control system chooses to minimize joint loading by recognizing differences in moment, compression, and shear support requirements and assigning muscle activation in the most appropriate way.


BACKGROUND
Loads were applied either parallel or perpendicular to the low back to create compressive or shear forces. No previous study has attempted to isolate the response of the trunk musculature with the type of external load.


METHODS
Eleven male subjects isometrically held an external load that was altered to create either a compressive or an anterior shear load on the low back but with equal extensor (reaction) moments (experiment 1). In a second experiment four men repeated the task with an increased range of applied loads (5-25 kg) together with measurements of intra-abdominal pressure.


RESULTS
The tasks with a compressive external load resulted in significantly higher levels of activation for all seven electromyographic channels recorded. Intraabdominal pressure, compressive and shear joint forces were all higher in the compression loading method when equal loads and low back moments were compared.


CONCLUSIONS
It was concluded that the motor control system does not arrange muscle activation levels in a way to minimize lumbar spinal loading at least for the relatively low levels of this study. Biomechanical models that use the objective criterion of minimum joint load may not be representative of the motor control system, at least in the low back.
Callaghan
J P
JP
Department of Kinesiology, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
McGill
S M
SM
D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000502:physiology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology*; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D016474:Weight-Bearing