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DTSTART:19700308T020000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20261012T210904Z
LOCATION:Summit Pavilion
DTSTART;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261021T173000
DTEND;TZID=America/Los_Angeles:20261021T183000
UID:HFESAM_ASPIRE 2026_sess257_POST247@linklings.com
SUMMARY:Effects of lumbar-assist exoskeletons and a lifting strap on low b
 ack biomechanical demands during ground-level patient handling
DESCRIPTION:Autumn Hotopp and Sang Hyeon Kang (Western Michigan University
 )\n\nThis study evaluated two passive lumbar-assist exoskeletons and a pat
 ient handling strap during three patient-handling phases (flip, sit-up, an
 d shoulder drag). Twelve participants completed each combination of exoske
 leton use (rigid, soft, or no-EXO) and patient-handling strap (with or wit
 hout) while trunk muscle activation, passive extensor moments, and subject
 ive responses (perceived exertion/usability) were captured. The results re
 vealed that during the flip phase, only the main effect of the exoskeleton
  was significant. In this phase, the rigid exoskeleton reduced erector spi
 nae activation by 32.1%, while the soft exoskeleton reduced lumbar passive
  moment by 31.2%. In the sit-up and shoulder drag phases, only the strap d
 emonstrated a significant effect across trunk muscle groups and the passiv
 e extensor moment. Subjective measurements confirmed that both the exoskel
 eton and strap reduced perceived exertion (Borg scale), with participants 
 reporting greater relief when using either device compared to the no-EXO c
 ondition. The rigid exoskeleton was preferred for mobility and pressure, w
 hile the System Usability Scale (SUS) ratings remained unaffected. These f
 indings suggest that the biomechanical effectiveness of the interventions 
 varied depending on the ground-level patient-handling phase.\n\n
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