A prospective cohort study of low-back outcomes and alternative measures of cumulative external and internal vibration load on the lumbar spine of professional drivers

Abstract

A prospective cohort study of low-back outcomes and alternative measures of cumulative external and internal vibration load on the lumbar spine of professional drivers by Bovenzi M, Schust M This is the first epidemiological study with a prospective cohort design that investigates the relationship of low-back outcomes to cumulative exposure to whole-body vibration assessed in terms of force-based internal load on the lumbar spine of professional drivers. Internal lumbar forces were calculated by means of anatomy-based finite elements models adapted to different sitting postures and individual anthropometric data.

Whole Body Vibration Exposure Transmitted to Drivers of Heavy Equipment Vehicles: A Comparative Case According to the Short- and Long-Term Exposure Assessment Methodologies Defined in ISO 2631-1 and ISO 2631-5

“…In addition, a study conducted by Bovenzi [16,48] analysed the occurrence of low back symptoms in professional drivers over a two-year period. The study showed a significant association between low back symptoms (low back pain, sciatica) and measures of internal lumbar load (S A d and Factor R A in particular).…”

“…Several epidemiological studies have evidenced a relationship between long-term exposure to WBV and the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as low back pain [14][15][16], sciatica [17], neck pain [18,19], degenerative changes in the lumbar spine [20], and other disorders such as cognitive/motor impairment. In fact, Costa et al [21] found evidence of cognitive/motor impairment as a result of WBV exposure.…”

Artificial Neural Network-Based Model for Assessing the Whole-Body Vibration of Vehicle Drivers

“…De la Hoz-Torres et al [38] assessed the short-term WBV exposure transmitted to drivers of heavy equipment vehicles (HEVs) and found that the VDV method was more restrictive for exposure levels above the limiting values, whereas other short-term assessment methods indicated that the same exposure levels were safe for workers. In addition, a recent study conducted by Bovenzi and Schust [19] concluded that assessment methods based on measures of external vibration acceleration provided worse predictors of LBP than measures of internal lumbar forces.…”

“…Some studies suggest that these methods may underestimate the severity of the effects of exposure to vibration containing shocks [18]. Recent research has revealed that there is an elevated risk of MSDs related to LBP, even for WBV exposures that are below the limits set in the European directive [19]. Moreover, the effects of long-term WBV exposure are not considered by the A (8) and VDV models, which may mean although that an exposure to WBV may be assessed as safe in the short term, it may have adverse consequences for the worker's health in the long term [20].…”

“…However, although the methods described in ISO 2631-5:2018 allow for the assessment of short-and long-term WBV exposure, companies within the EU are not obliged to apply them to assess the WBV to which their workers are exposed. In addition, although this method is based on the estimation of internal lumbar forces and is a better predictor of LBP than acceleration-based methods (e.g., A(8) and VDV), the primary drawback of these methods is the complexity of their application [19]. The implementation of the method defined in ISO 2631-5:2018 requires the wave signal to be recorded for the subsequent evaluation of WBV exposure, which involves the use of specialised and expensive equipment.…”