Browsing by Author "Casu, Giulia"

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  • Shoulder kinematics during cyclic overhead work are affected by a passive arm support exoskeleton
    Casu, Giulia; Barajas-Smith, Isaiah; Barr, Alan; Phillips, Brandon; Kim, Sunwook; Nussbaum, Maury A.; Rempel, David; Pau, Massimiliano; Harris-Adamson, Carisa (Elsevier, 2024-07-25)
    Purpose: We investigated the influence of passive arm-support exoskeleton (ASE) with different levels of torque (50, 75, and 100%) on upper arm osteokinematics. Methods: Twenty participants completed a cyclic overhead drilling task with and without ASE. Task duration, joint angles, and angular acceleration peaks were analyzed during ascent and descent phases of the dominant upper arm. Results: Maximum ASE torque was associated with decreased peak acceleration during ascent (32.2%; SD 17.8; p < 0.001) and descent phases (38.8%; SD 17.8; p < 0.001). Task duration remained consistent. Increased torque led to a more flexed (7.2°; SD 5.5; p > 0.001) and internally rotated arm posture (17.6°; SD 12.1; p < 0.001), with minimal changes in arm abduction. Conclusion: The small arm accelerations and changes in osteokinematics we observed, support the use of this ASE, even while performing overhead cyclic tasks with the highest level of support.