Modelling the Stochastic Nature of Trunk Muscle Forces

Abstract

In an effort to understand the mechanism of low back disorders, researchers have developed EMG driven biomechanical models which estimate the magnitude of the internal reaction forces of the spine (compression and shear), by using information about the activity of the muscles of the trunk. But, because the trunk ls multi-dimensional in nature, there is variability in the relative contribution of the various muscles, which implies variability in the reaction forces of the spine. Therefore, it may be more appropriate to discuss the range of spine reaction forces during a lift as opposed to the mean spine reaction force. The present research was an attempt to model the muscle forces stochastically and to develop a simulation model which predicts trunk muscle EMG that could occur during a lift. The simulated EMGs which resulted were then input into an EMG driven biomechanical model so the variability in spine reaction forces could be quantified. Under simple sagittally symmetric isometric conditions, compression which occurred at three standard deviations above the mean was 12% higher than that of the mean. The results for anterior shear (24% higher) and lateral shear (50% higher) showed even larger Increases.