A novel biomechanical analysis of horticultural digging
- Submitting institution
-
Coventry University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 37878325
- Type
- D - Journal article
- DOI
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10.21273/HORTTECH03800-17
- Title of journal
- HortTech
- Article number
- -
- First page
- 746
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 6
- ISSN
- 1063-0198
- Open access status
- Compliant
- Month of publication
- December
- Year of publication
- 2017
- URL
-
-
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- Yes
- Number of additional authors
-
2
- Research group(s)
-
-
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- Yes
- Additional information
- Research indicates that as many as 75% of agriculture-based employees suffer from musculoskeletal symptoms, predominantly in the lower back, followed by the neck–shoulder and knees. Significant numbers of people engage in gardening as a hobby or pastime. By better understanding the biomechanics of digging, it may be possible to reduce the risk of injury through improved advice, training, design and awareness raising. A novel method of determining joint angles, joint torques, and contact forces, using three-dimensional motion capture and musculoskeletal modelling, was applied to the movements of a sample of workers. The participants engaged in the horticultural task of digging, to determine if objective biomechanical data could be correlated with a subjective visual assessment to predict risk of injury. Using these techniques, postures were identified that place loads and torques on the body that increase risk of injury. The results indicate the potential to modify the design of horticulture-related equipment to minimize the internal loads within the body to reduce the risk to health and, extend active participation in horticulture. This research disseminated through the American Society for Horticultural Science was cited in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Five Year Strategic Plan in 2016 in reference to the health benefits of gardening.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -