The effects of repetitive lifting on lumbar spinal motion in a young and middle- aged population

High incidences of lifting-related injuries have been identified in older adults when compared to a younger population (Mackey et aI., 2007). Such differences may stcm from a reduction in the physical capacity of older workers when compared to thcir younger counterparts (Shephard, 1999; Mackey et aI., 2007). During manual handling activities, lumbosacral (LS) kinematics is considered an important determinant of the risk of spinal injury (McGill, 2007). This study investigated changes in lumbar spinal motion in a group of young and older male adults when performing a repetitive lifting task.