Load knowledge has been identified as a factor affecting the risk of low back pain (LBP) during symmetric lifting. However, the effects of load knowledge in asymmetric lifting tasks have not been reported yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the load knowledge influence on lifting biomechanics in asymmetric lifting tasks; Methods: Twenty-four male adults were recruited to complete a psychophysical lifting capacity test and a simulated asymmetric lifting task. The lifting task was set with load knowledge of 'no knowledge' (NK), 'weight known' (WK), 'fragile material known' (FK), and 'weight and fragile material known' (WFK) for different lifting load weights. Trunk kinematics and kinetics were collected and analyzed; Results: When fragility information was presented, trunk sagittal flexion acceleration, lateral flexion velocity and acceleration, and average lateral bending moment were significantly lowered at the deposit phase. Lifting a high load weight was found to significantly increase low back sagittal bending moment at the lifting phase and low back moments of all three dimensions at the deposit phase; Conclusions: The decrease of trunk kinematic load suggests that providing material fragility information to workers in asymmetric lifting tasks would be effective in reducing their risk of LBP.
Keywords: asymmetric lifting; biomechanics; load knowledge; low back pain.