Novel thoraco-lumbo-sacral corset design increases Biering-Sorensen back endurance and alters knee and ankle angles during a box lifting task

Abstract

Research investigating lumbosacral corset designs and their effects are limited and conflicting. The objective was to compare thoraco-lumbo-sacral support corsets (polyester/nylon: TLSSC-poly and neoprene: TLSSC-neo) with a traditional model (TRAD) and Control. Twenty male, university-aged, healthy, recreationally active, participants performed Biering-Sorensen back endurance (BS) test and box lifting tasks (BL:30 repetitions using 20% body mass). Lower and upper erector spinae and hamstrings electromyography (EMG); trunk-hip, knee, and ankle kinematics as well as endurance time were monitored. With BL, the TLSSC-poly (121.4°±17.9) exhibited 1.9% (p = 0.01), 2.7% (p = 0.003), and 3.7% (p = 0.0003) greater knee flexion than TRAD (119.1°±17.5), TLSSC-neo (116.8°±17.4) and Control (120.1°±17.6) respectively. The TLSSC-poly (101.9°± 8.9) demonstrated significant 3.5% (p = 0.005), 2.2% (p = 0.002) and 1.4% (p = 0.01) greater dorsiflexion than TRAD (103.4°±8.7), TLSSC-neo (104.2°±9.8) and Control (105.7°±7.2) respectively. With BS, TLSSC-poly (137.4-s±31.2, 9.7%, p = 0.018) and TLSSC-neo (133.8-s±32.3, 9.2%, p = 0.006) exhibited significantly longer durations than Control (124.8-s±29.8). Relevance to industry: The TLSSC increased BS endurance and TLSSC-poly increased BL knee and ankle angles, possibly providing benefits for workers, with repeated actions over a full work day.