Biomedical subjects

Wayne J Albert

Publications and source records attributed to Wayne J Albert.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Assessment of neuromuscular and haemodynamic activity in individuals with and without chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Biering-Sørenson (1984) found that individuals with less lumbar extensor muscle endurance had an increased occurrence of first episode low back pain. As a result, back endurance tests have been recommended for inclusion in health assessment protocols. However, different studies have reported markedly different values for endurance times, leading some researchers to believe that the back is receiving support from the biceps femoris and gluteus maximus. Therefore, this study was designed to examine the haemodynamic and neuromuscular activity of the erector spinae, biceps femoris, and gluteus maximus musculature during the Biering-Sørenson Muscular Endurance Test (BSME). METHODS: Seventeen healthy individuals and 46 individuals with chronic low back pain performed the Biering-Sørenson Muscular Endurance Test while surface electromyography was used to quantify neuromuscular activity. Disposable silver-silver-chloride electrodes were placed in a bipolar arrangement over the right or left biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, and the lumbosacral paraspinal muscles at the level of L3. Near Infrared Spectroscopy was used simultaneously to measure tissue oxygenation and blood volume changes of the erector spinae and biceps femoris. RESULTS: The healthy group displayed a significantly longer time to fatigue (Healthy: 168.5s, LBP: 111.1s; p < or = 0.05). Significant differences were shown in the median frequency slope of the erector spinae between the two groups at 90-100% of the time to fatigue while no significant differences were noted in the haemodynamic data for the two groups. CONCLUSION: Although the BSME has been recognized as a test for back endurance, individuals with chronic LBP appear to incorporate a strategy that may help support the back musculature by utilizing the biceps femoris and gluteus maximus to a greater degree than their healthy counterparts.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2006

Principal component analysis of lifting waveforms.

BACKGROUND: One limiting factor in lifting research design has been the inability to effectively analyze waveform data, especially when differences in body mass, height, and load magnitude influence the derived kinetic variables. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the sensitivity of principal component analysis to quantify clinically relevant differences in kinetic lifting waveforms over three load magnitudes and between two separate populations. METHODS: Principal component analysis was applied to five kinetic lifting waveforms. The derived principal component scores were used as the dependent measures in a two-way (clinical status x load magnitude) MANOVA. FINDINGS: Significant low back pain group differences (P<0.05) were found for three of the principal component scores on extension moment generation in the sacral and thoracic regions and for trunk compression. Significant differences were found for each variable with respect to the magnitude across the entire lift time between the three load conditions, as well as four significant differences related to inferred mechanical changes that resulted from lifting increasingly heavier loads. INTERPRETATION: Principal component analysis of kinetic lifting waveforms was shown to be insensitive to a confounding factor of different load magnitudes when attempting to identify previously determined clinically relevant differences in the waveform trajectories. The analysis was able to partition the variability attributed to the direct influence of different external load magnitudes, versus those differences in spinal loading that arose from the variations in the lifting mechanics of increasing loads. The technique could be beneficial for other kinetic analyses where confounding magnitude modifiers like body size are present.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Differentiating lifting technique between those who develop low back pain and those who do not.

BACKGROUND: No research to date has been able to discriminate differences in lifting technique for healthy individuals who eventually develop low back pain compared to those that do not while employed in a manual materials handling industry. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the ability of principal component analysis to identify differences in lifting technique. METHODS: Principal component analysis was applied to sixteen kinematic and kinetic waveforms describing the two-dimensional motion of the trunk and load. The principal component scores for each variable were used as the dependent measures in a one-way ANOVA to determine group differences. FINDINGS: Significant group differences (P<0.05) were found for five of the principal component scores capturing associated kinematic waveform patterns related to the control and placement of the box on the shelf, and associated kinetic waveform patterns related to the relative timing of extension moment generation in the sacral and thoracic regions. A related waveform pattern for trunk compression was also found. INTERPRETATION: Due to the coordinated movements involved in tasks such as lifting, differences among clinical populations have been difficult to demonstrate empirically. We were able to identify different characteristics in lifting kinematics and kinetics prior to the development of low back pain. Principal component analysis was able to identify important biomechanical differences where traditional analyses failed. This is the first study to identify such lifting differences prior to the development of low back pain.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗

PubMed2004

Monitoring individual erector spinae fatigue responses using electromyography and near infrared spectroscopy.

This study examined the utility of electromyography and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in assessing m. erector spinae activity during the Biering-Sorensen Back Muscle Endurance (BSME) test. Six men and four women (27.0 +/- 7.1 years of age) performed the BSME test (time = 131.5 +/- 43.5 s). EMG was used to quantify neuromuscular activity of the right and left side at the L3 level, and root mean square was scaled for maximum value at the start of the exercise. NIRS was used to evaluate blood volume (BV) and oxygenation (OX) simultaneous with EMG bilaterally at the L3 level. There was a decrease to 49+/- 8% of initial median frequency (mean= 83 Hz) on both right and left sides when the exercise was 90% complete, and the slope of the median frequency/time relationship was significantly related to BSME time (r = 0.82). Group means for BV increased during back exercise while OX decreased and was significantly different between right and left sides of the lower back. However, large OX response differences among individuals and between right and left sides were noted. OX and median frequency were moderately related (r = 0.27-0.38). It appears that NIRS combined with EMG is a promising tool for assessing localized metabolic and neuromuscular activity during static contractions of the lower back.

Adult↗