Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
Exoskeletons for reducing physical stress and strain in occupational tasks: a systematic review
Dublin Core
Title
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
Exoskeletons for reducing physical stress and strain in occupational tasks: a systematic review
Exoskeletons for reducing physical stress and strain in occupational tasks: a systematic review
Subject
Exoskeletons , physical stress, strain
Description
Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) count for ~60% of all self-reported work-related health issues in the EU. The most contributing risk factors include heavy work, lifting, repetition, awkward postures. Exoskeletons may intervene on the risk factors and counteract the high prevalence of WRMSD. This review aimed to assess the effect of wearing an exoskeleton during occupational tasks on physical stress and strain parameters, compared to not wearing an exoskeleton.
Material and methods: We searched the literature for studies evaluating exoskeletons for occupational purposes. Two review authors independently assessed retrieved records for eligibility, risk of bias, and extracted the data. The review followed PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registration: CRD42020168701).
Results: Of 8001 records identified, 48 studies were included in the quantitative analysis. All studies had a high risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed low to very-low quality of evidence for statistically significant effects of using back, upper-limb or lower-limb exoskeletons on various parameters in supported (e.g., reduced muscle activity) and non-supported body areas (e.g., reduced energy expenditure).
Conclusions: Using exoskeletons during occupational tasks could reduce acute physical stress and strain, especially in the supported body area. The results should be interpreted with consideration, mainly due to the low to very-low methodological quality of the studies described in the assessed literature. The impact of exoskeletons on worker’s health is still unknown, for which primarily prospective field RCTs can be recommended.
Material and methods: We searched the literature for studies evaluating exoskeletons for occupational purposes. Two review authors independently assessed retrieved records for eligibility, risk of bias, and extracted the data. The review followed PRISMA guidelines (PROSPERO registration: CRD42020168701).
Results: Of 8001 records identified, 48 studies were included in the quantitative analysis. All studies had a high risk of bias. The meta-analysis showed low to very-low quality of evidence for statistically significant effects of using back, upper-limb or lower-limb exoskeletons on various parameters in supported (e.g., reduced muscle activity) and non-supported body areas (e.g., reduced energy expenditure).
Conclusions: Using exoskeletons during occupational tasks could reduce acute physical stress and strain, especially in the supported body area. The results should be interpreted with consideration, mainly due to the low to very-low methodological quality of the studies described in the assessed literature. The impact of exoskeletons on worker’s health is still unknown, for which primarily prospective field RCTs can be recommended.
Creator
Tessy Luger, Mona Bär, Monika A. Rieger, Benjamin Steinhilber
Publisher
Elsevier Korea LLC
Date
January 2022
Contributor
Sri Wahyuni
Format
PDF
Language
English
Type
Text
Coverage
Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
Files
Citation
Tessy Luger, Mona Bär, Monika A. Rieger, Benjamin Steinhilber, “Safety and Health at Work Vol. 13 Supplement 1 2022
Exoskeletons for reducing physical stress and strain in occupational tasks: a systematic review,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 15, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2334.
Exoskeletons for reducing physical stress and strain in occupational tasks: a systematic review,” Repository Horizon University Indonesia, accessed April 15, 2025, https://repository.horizon.ac.id/items/show/2334.