The dortmunder - biomechanical model for quantification and assessment of the load on the lumbar spine

摘要

Evaluation of occupational activities with regard to potential overexertion of the lumbar spine requires the quantification and assessment of lumbar load. The aim of this paper is to introduce a biomechanical model, called The Dortmunder. The current version represents a 3-D dynamic simulation tool, which permits calculation of several mechanical measures of lumbar load in the form of local and temporal profiles. For the assessment of overexertion risk, task-related lumbar-load values can be compared to the so-called Dortmund Recommendations, which represent age-and-gender-related limits based on the load-bearing capacity of spinal elements.