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Biomedical subjects

Michael Jorgensen

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Jorgensen.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Characteristics of job rotation in the Midwest US manufacturing sector.

Job rotation has been advocated as a suitable intervention to control work-related musculoskeletal disorders. However, little is known regarding the prevalence of job rotation, methods used to identify jobs for rotation or the benefits or limitations of job rotation. A web-based questionnaire was developed to survey job rotation practices from Midwest US manufacturing companies. Results indicated that 42.7% of the companies contacted used job rotation, where the median time for which they had used job rotation was 5 years. Job rotation was used mainly to reduce exposure to risk factors for work-related injuries and to reduce work related injuries, whereas supervisor decisions and ergonomic analyses were used to select jobs for the rotation scheme. Major limitations to successful implementation of job rotation included rotation of individuals with medical restrictions, decreased product quality and lack of jobs to rotate to. These findings suggest that further study is needed to determine if exposure to risk factors is reduced through current efforts.

Data Collection↗
PubMed2005

The prediction of lumbar spine geometry: method development and validation.

OBJECTIVES: To develop and validate a new method of predicting the neutral lumbar spine curve from external (non-invasive electrogoniometer) measurements. BACKGROUND: Non-invasive techniques for lumbar spine geometry prediction suffer from a lack of a complete geometry description, problems with applicability to field conditions, or both. METHODS: The study consisted of three steps. First, utilizing lateral imaging (MRI and X-ray pictures) of the lumbosacral junction, the torso geometry was described using measures of lumbar lordosis via the Cobb method. Second, the relationship between imaging based measurement of lumbar spinal curvature and externally measured torso flexion angle in the sagittal plane using a goniometer was determined. Finally, method validation was performed with an independent set of nine subjects. The predicted lumbar spine curve was determined and the prediction errors were analyzed against the measured curves from digitized lateral X-ray images of the lumbosacral junction. RESULTS: The shape of the lumbar curve was described as function of three externally measured parameters. The lumbar spine Cobb angle, segmental centroid positions (S(1)-T(12)), and segmental orientations were predicted from the external lumbar motion monitor measurements, with average precisions of 5.8 degrees , 4.4 mm, and 3.9 degrees , respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The position and orientation of each segment (vertebrae and disc), along with the lumbar spine lordosis, can be predicted in the neutral posture using data from back angular measurements. RELEVANCE: The consideration of the spine as a curve is necessary to accurately quantify and describe the forces acting along the (lumbar) vertebral column for any given loading. The method could be a very useful prediction tool for industrial and laboratory experiments, as well as analytical models.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Venom variation and chemoreception of the viperid Agkistrodon contortrix: evidence for adaptation?

Previous studies of chemoreceptive behavior in vipers suggest that snakes focus on the scent of envenomated tissue to track their prey following envenomation. Other studies have indicated a correlation between qualitative differences in venom biochemistry and geographic variation in diet. The North American copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) varies geographically in diet and venom biochemistry; snakes were collected from three populations (Kansas, Texas, and Louisiana) that are known to have different prey preferences. Behavioral experiments were conducted to assess whether copperheads preferred envenomated prey more than nonenvenomated prey, as do other species of vipers studied thus far. Additional experiments tested the ability of copperheads to distinguish between envenomated prey from different geographic populations, and between geographic populations of copperheads and two other species of viper. Results indicated that copperheads prefer envenomated prey to nonenvenomated prey. In envenomated-prey discrimination experiments, copperheads distinguished between envenomated prey from different geographic populations, and some snakes distinguished envenomated prey of A. contortrix from those of A. piscivorns and Sistrurus catenatus. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was used to study the variation of venom biochemistry in this species and two other taxa (A. piscivorus and S. catenatus), and confirmed intraspecific and interspecific variation of venom proteins. Relative potency of the venom from different populations as indicated by time to immobilization experiments was in the order: Louisiana > Texas > Kansas. The relative potency of the venom from each population matched the order of preference in the chemoreception experiments. These results suggest that chemoreception is sensitive to subtle differences in venom biochemistry and may reflect adaptation to improve efficiency of finding envenomated prey.

Agkistrodon↗
PubMed2003

Management of impacted cuspids using 3-D volumetric imaging.

Management of impacted cuspids is a complex clinical problem involving proper assessment and interdisciplinary treatment planning. In this paper, we describe the use of 3-D volumetric imaging in the management of impacted cuspids and illustrate this application in case reports of maxillary and mandibular impacted cuspids.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Spine loading as a function of gender.

STUDY DESIGN: In vivo laboratory studies were conducted to investigate the spine loads imposed on men and women during a series of lifting tasks that varied in the degree of lifting control required by the subject. OBJECTIVE: To identify and understand differences in spine loading and musculoskeletal control strategies between men and women performing lifts of varying task complexity. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Few studies have examined differences in spine loading as a function of individual factors such as subject gender. Furthermore, no biomechanical studies have attempted to quantify and understand how differences in anthropometry between genders might influence muscle recruitment and subsequent spine loads. Because the modern workplace seldom discriminates between genders in job assignments, it is important to understand how differences in spine loading and potential low back disorder risk might be associated with gender differences. METHODS: For this study, 140 subjects participated in two separate experiments requiring different degrees of musculoskeletal motion control during sagittal plane lifting. The two experiments consisted of 35 men and 35 women performing lifts in which motion was isolated to the torso and 35 men and 35 women completing whole-body free-dynamic whole body lifts. An electromyography-assisted model was used to evaluate spine loading under these conditions. RESULTS: Absolute spine compression generally was greater for the men. Under the highly controlled (isolated torso) conditions, most differences were attributed solely to differences in body mass. Under a whole-body free-dynamic condition, significant differences in muscle coactivations resulted in greater relative compression and anterior-posterior shear spine loading for the women. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in spine loadings as a function of gender under the more controlled lifting conditions were primarily a function of different body masses. However, loading pattern differences existed between the genders under whole-body free-dynamic conditions as a result of kinematic compensations and increases in muscle cocontraction, with women generally experiencing greater relative loads. When spine tolerance differences are considered, one would expect that females would be at greater risk of musculoskeletal overload during lifting tasks.

Abdomen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gender influences on spine loads during complex lifting.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Previous research has documented differences in spine loading between genders when the imposed load is normalized relative to the size of the person. However, under realistic work conditions the magnitude of the load handled is seldom adjusted relative to worker anthropometry. Thus, there is a void in our knowledge in that we do not understand how material handling influences spine loading and potential risk of injury as a function of gender under realistic lifting situations. PURPOSE: To evaluate the differences in spine loading between men and women when exposed to similar workplace demands. STUDY DESIGN: A laboratory study was conducted to investigate the biomechanical responses during realistic free-dynamic lifting tasks when subjects lifted from origins and destinations that were either fixed or set relative to the subject's anthropometry. PATIENT SAMPLE: Twenty men and 20 women asymptomatic for low back pain were recruited to participate in the study. OUTCOME MEASURES: The three-dimensional spine loads were predicted from a well-established electromyography-assisted model. METHODS: Both genders completed a series of symmetric and asymmetric (60-degree clockwise) lifts that originated from two shelf heights ("relative" to knee height and "set" at 35 cm from floor) and terminated at one of two destination heights ("relative" to waist and "set" 102 cm from the floor). Three levels of box weight were investigated (6.8, 13.6 and 22.7 kg). RESULTS: Men had significantly greater compression forces than women (about 640 N). Loading differences between genders were further magnified by several of the workplace factors. The differences between men and women were even greater when lifting either of the heavier loads from the lower fixed shelf (more than 50% greater). CONCLUSIONS: It is apparent that men produce the greater loads on their spines during lifting. However, engineering controls, such as adjustable workplace layout or less weight lifted, may reduce or eliminate gender-specific differences in spine loads. Furthermore, the differences in spine loads appear to be a result of kinematic trade-offs and muscle coactivity differences in combination with unequal body masses between genders. However, when the loads were put into context of the expected tolerances of the spine, women were found to be at increased risk of injury, especially when lifting heavy loads or under asymmetric lifting conditions. Collectively, the results indicate the need to account for differences between the genders when designing the workplace.

Adult↗