Biomechanical Assessment of Lateral Stiffness Elements in the Suspension System of a Rucksack
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the change in load distribution characteristics associated with adding lateral stiffness elements (rods) to a rucksack. A manikin was instrumented to allow determination of the load applied to the shoulders and upper torso independent of the load applied to the hips and lower trunk. Position and mass of the payload (25 kg) was fixed at the centre of the volume of the rucksack and held constant during all testing. Results showed that this active stiffness element shifted 10% of the vertical load from the upper torso to the pelvic region with no adverse affect on other factors known to limit load carriage capacity. Lumbar shear load remained unchanged between the rod and no-rod conditions for all combinations of shoulder strap and waist belt tension. The lateral rods also provided a greater extensor moment about the medio-lateral axis at the L3-L4 level.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADP011002
Entities
People
- R. A. Whiteside
- Susan A. Reid
Organizations
- Queen's University