Integrating a hip belt with body armour reduces the magnitude and changes the location of shoulder pressure and perceived discomfort in soldiers

Lenton, Gavin K.; Doyle, Tim; Saxby, David J.; Billing, Dan C.; Higgs, Jeremy; Lloyd, David G.

doi:10.1080/00140139.2017.1381278

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Contrary to our first hypothesis, no significant differences in stance phase power generation or absorption were observed between load sharing systems, despite a main effect existing for hip power generation (Table 1). This result, along with our prior work demonstrating all of the load sharing systems were effective in reducing shoulder pressure (Lenton et al, 2018), means that shoulder-to-hip load transfer likely does not require greater muscular effort during walking compared to standard beltless designs. Consistent with prior research (Devroey et al, 2007), these findings suggest changes in coordination and energetics mostly occur when load is positioned close to extremities (e.g., hands, feet) compared to torso load placement (Browning et al, 2007;Schertzer and Riemer, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Lower-limb joint work and power are modulated during load carriage based on load configuration and walking speed

Lenton

Doyle

Lloyd

et al. 2019

Journal of Biomechanics

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Soldiers regularly transport loads weighing >20 kg for slow speeds over long durations. These tasks elicit high energetic costs through increasing positive work generated by knee and ankle muscles, which may increase risk of muscular fatigue and decrease combat readiness. This study aimed to determine how modifying where load is borne changes lower-limb joint mechanical work production, and if load magnitude and/or walking speed also affect work production. Twenty Australian soldier participants donned a total of 12 body armor variations: six body armor systems (one standard-issue, two commercially available [cARM1-2], and three prototype [pARM1-3]) and two load magnitudes (15 and 30 kg). In each armor variation, participants completed treadmill walking at two speeds (1.51 and 1.83 m/s). Three-dimensional motion capture and force plate data were acquired and used to estimate joint angles and moments from inverse kinematics and dynamics, respectively. From these, hip, knee, and ankle joint work was computed and compared between armor types and walking speeds. Positive joint work over the stance phase significantly increased with walking speed and carried load, accompanied by 2.3-2.6% shifts in total positive work production from ankle to hip (p<0.05). Compared to using cARM1 with 15 kg of carried load, carrying 30 kg caused significantly greater hip contribution to total positive work, while knee and ankle work decreased. Substantial increases in hip joint contributions to total positive work with increases in walking speed and load magnitude highlight the importance of hip musculature to positive power generation in load carriage walking. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…Descriptions and illustrations of the armor types can be found in the supplementary material. The effectiveness of each load sharing system in reducing shoulder pressure has been established in our previous work (Lenton et al, 2018).…”

Section: Body Armor Conditionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lower-limb joint work and power are modulated during load carriage based on load configuration and walking speed

Lenton

Doyle

Lloyd

et al. 2019

Journal of Biomechanics

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Studies also directly quantify the surface pressures between body-borne equipment and the body. For example, pressure sensors are used to measure the human–equipment interface of operators donning a backpack (Jones & Hooper, 2005; Lenton et al, 2018) and human–spacesuit interfaces (Anderson et al, 2015; Anderson & Newman, 2015; Reid et al, 2014). A customized glove was designed (Amick et al, 2016) with multiple integrated sensors (including force-sensitive resistors, thermocouples, and a humidity sensor) to conduct a quantitative evaluation of a spacesuit glove.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Static, Dynamic, and Cognitive Fit of Exosystems for the Human Operator

et al. 2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective To define static, dynamic, and cognitive fit and their interactions as they pertain to exosystems and to document open research needs in using these fit characteristics to inform exosystem design. Background Initial exosystem sizing and fit evaluations are currently based on scalar anthropometric dimensions and subjective assessments. As fit depends on ongoing interactions related to task setting and user, attempts to tailor equipment have limitations when optimizing for this limited fit definition. Method A targeted literature review was conducted to inform a conceptual framework defining three characteristics of exosystem fit: static, dynamic, and cognitive. Details are provided on the importance of differentiating fit characteristics for developing exosystems. Results Static fit considers alignment between human and equipment and requires understanding anthropometric characteristics of target users and geometric equipment features. Dynamic fit assesses how the human and equipment move and interact with each other, with a focus on the relative alignment between the two systems. Cognitive fit considers the stages of human-information processing, including somatosensation, executive function, and motor selection. Human cognitive capabilities should remain available to process task- and stimulus-related information in the presence of an exosystem. Dynamic and cognitive fit are operationalized in a task-specific manner, while static fit can be considered for predefined postures. Conclusion A deeper understanding of how an exosystem fits an individual is needed to ensure good human–system performance. Development of methods for evaluating different fit characteristics is necessary. Application Methods are presented to inform exosystem evaluation across physical and cognitive characteristics.

show abstract

“…The prevailing theory is that the user will change their strategy (Wettenschwiler et al 2015a). Currently, there is little documented on this subject for EOD suits while there is extensive research regarding more ubiquitous tactical style body armor vests (Lenton et al 2018). The NIJ Bomb Suit Standard delineates range of motion and qualitative performance of EOD suits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The purpose of this study was to quantify the resistance exerted on the user's body by the EOD suit and how the user adapts to complete various tasks that require differing ranges of movement. Previous studies related to analyzing soldier performance regarding body armor and backpack weight have measured the pressure exerted on the shoulders and waists of subjects (Lenton et al 2018). A Load Distribution System (LDS) was analyzed by taking human subject data from both standing and marching soldiers to determine if there existed any improved measure of comfortability (Lenton et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pressure monitoring based identification of the EOD suit–human interface load distribution

Deane

Kao

et al. 2021

Int J Intell Robot Appl

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Soldiers working in the field of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) wear cumbersome personal protective equipment (PPE) that may affect their performance in the field, limit their mobility, and cause discomfort. The objective of this study was to develop a test methodology to identify the relationship between EOD suit interface loads and mission-critical performance metrics. The physical interactions between an EOD suit and human subjects were monitored using a distributed pressure sensor network to investigate the interface load distribution during EOD-related physical positions and activities. More specifically, a Med-Eng brand Model EOD 8 suit was utilized to evaluate shoulder discomfort and leg mobility restriction. Thirty-four college aged adults of varying athletic abilities completed a test course and walked on a treadmill for 2 min while wearing the EOD 8. Demographic information was collected before testing via a survey and qualitative observations were collected at the end of testing with a questionnaire. After each test course repetition, participants ranked their perceived exertion using the Borg scale. Overall, the time it took participants to complete the test course increased by 17% and participants experienced a 60% increase in perceived exertion while wearing the EOD 8. The region that experienced the most pain and discomfort was the top of the shoulders (59%) and there was a negative correlation (r = − 0.5, p < 0.05) between participants' body mass index (BMI) and the max shoulder pressure. The groin protector was found to restrict hip rotation when the subject squatted to pick up an object, producing a pressure 30-times higher than without the EOD 8. These results suggest that a range of motion evaluation method for EOD suits and other protective ensemble can be successfully developed using a combination of user feedback and strategically placed pressure sensors. This study implements the largest pressure region ever recorded on the human body and is the first of its kind to investigate the movement restriction of PPE for various practical tasks.

show abstract

Integrating a hip belt with body armour reduces the magnitude and changes the location of shoulder pressure and perceived discomfort in soldiers

Cited by 12 publications

References 26 publications

Lower-limb joint work and power are modulated during load carriage based on load configuration and walking speed

Lower-limb joint work and power are modulated during load carriage based on load configuration and walking speed

Static, Dynamic, and Cognitive Fit of Exosystems for the Human Operator

Pressure monitoring based identification of the EOD suit–human interface load distribution

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About