Reviews
18 September 2020
Vol. 42 No. 3 (2020)
https://doi.org/10.4081/gimle.458

EFFECTS ON SCHOOLBAG GAIT KINEMATICS: A MECHANICAL OVERLOAD POTENTIALLY CAUSING DEVELOPMENTAL MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS?

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Wearable inertial sensors, School backpack, Physical loads, Musculoskeletal disorders, Biomechanics of gait.
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Authors

Gianni D'Addio
ICS Maugeri, Telese Terme (BN), Italy.
Leandro Dionisi
leandro.donisi@unina.it
Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Napoli, Italy.
Gaetano Pagano
ICS Maugeri, Telese Terme (BN), Italy.
Luca Mercogliano
NIT - Naples Institute of Technologies Inc., Napoli, Italy.
Mario Cesarelli
ICS Maugeri, Telese Terme (BN); DIETI, University of Naples ‘Federico II’, Napoli, Italy.
Giuseppe Cesarelli
Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare, Italian Institute of Technology, Napoli, Italy.

Studies and reviews show that the vast majority of students around the world use heavy and uncomfortable backpacks, which could negatively affect their musculoskeletal development or at least generate a non-physiological functional overload. In this regard, non-invasive analyses were carried out on a sample of 150 healthy students aged between 14 and 15 years using a wearable inertial device for gait analysis: G-Walk System by BTS Bioengineering. Each student performed a gait analysis session consisting in a walk of 15 meters along a straight path in two different conditions: free walk and walk with backpack. A backpack with a sturdy backrest, wide and padded straps and abdominal belt with buckle was chosen. The weight inside the backpack was fixed at 9.3 kg in accordance with scientific studies conducted by Stefano Negrini of IS/CO (Istituto Scientifico
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Italiano Colonna Vertebrale). Aim of this work is to understand, through an accurate analysis both instrumental and statistical, if we can talk about differential influence of musculoskeletal type generated by a school backpack full load compared to no backpack, trying to find out if and how much this affects walking both in terms of space-time parameters and detachment from normality values, and in terms of kinematic parameters such as pelvic rotations angles. Results showed a statistically significant difference between the space-time parameters computed in the two different study conditions, moreover a qualitative and quantitative difference was found for kinematic parameters too, which could imply potential musculoskeletal disorders associated with prolonged and long-lasting use of heavy and uncomfortable backpacks. This study has the ambition to raise awareness of this issue in order to extend legislative limits to the "working" environment of children, that is the school, as it is done for working environments adults (D. Igs 81/08 related to manual maintenance of loads).

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How to Cite



EFFECTS ON SCHOOLBAG GAIT KINEMATICS: A MECHANICAL OVERLOAD POTENTIALLY CAUSING DEVELOPMENTAL MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS?. (2020). Giornale Italiano Di Medicina Del Lavoro Ed Ergonomia, 42(3), 201-207. https://doi.org/10.4081/gimle.458
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