Evaluation of a passive exoskeleton for static upper limb activities

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a passive upper body exoskeleton on muscle activity, perceived musculoskeletal effort, local perceived pressure and subjective usability for a static overhead task. Eight participants (4 male, 4 female) held a load (0 kg and 2 kg) three times overhead for a duration of 30 s each, both with and...

Assessment of an active industrial exoskeleton to aid dynamic lifting and lowering manual handling tasks

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an industrial exoskeleton on muscle activity, perceived musculoskeletal effort, measured and perceived contact pressure at the trunk, thighs and shoulders, and subjective usability for simple sagittal plane lifting and lowering conditions. Twelve male participants lifted and lowered a box of 7...

Discrete event simulation as an ergonomic tool to predict workload exposures during systems design

This methodological paper presents a novel approach to predict operator's mechanical exposure and fatigue accumulation in discrete event simulations. A biomechanical model of work-cycle loading is combined with a discrete event simulation model which provides work cycle patterns over the shift resulting in a load-time trace for the entire shift....

Electromyographical manifestations of muscle fatigue during different levels of simulated light manual assembly work

The purpose of this study was to determine whether objective electromyographical manifestations of muscle fatigue develop in the upper trapezius muscle in two assembly tasks involving contractions of different low-intensity levels (8% and 12% MVC) and whether these indications of fatigue are homogeneously distributed across different muscle...

Reliability and validity of the Assessment of Daily Activity Performance (ADAP) in community-dwelling older women

Background and aims: The Assessment of Daily Activity Performance (ADAP) test was developed, and modeled after the Continuous-scale Physical Functional Performance (CS-PFP) test, to provide a quantitative assessment of older adults' physical functional performance. The aim of this study was to determine the intra-examiner reliability and...

Vascular endothelial growth factor overexpression in ischemic skeletal muscle enhances myoglobin expression in vivo

Therapeutic angiogenesis using vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is considered a promising new therapy for patients with arterial obstructive disease. Clinical improvements observed consist of improved muscle function and regression of rest pain or angina. However, direct evidence for improved vascularization, as evaluated by angiography...

RSI: Een rapport van de gezondheidsraad [RSI; a report from the Health Council of the Netherlands]

The Health Council of the Netherlands has published its advisory report on Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). The report provides clear information on the state of this syndrome, including the definition of the problem, the epidemiology, various hypothetical pathophysiological mechanisms, occupational and personal risk factors, and possible methods...