Assessment of the anybody full body musculoskeletal model in computing spine loads at lumbar level: comparison with in vivo values obtained during exercise taskes

Musculoskeletal models provide a valuable insight to non-invasively investigate the relation between human motion and internal biomechanical loads. Through an inverse dynamic approach, this modeling technique allows to compute the intersegmental forces acting during the execution of imposed specific body motion and under the action of known external loads. When focusing on the characterization of human spine, musculoskeletal modeling can be accounted to evaluate lumbar loads during physiological activities (e.g. training, ergonomics and rehabilitation) and pathological scenarios (e.g. spine deformities and surgical fixation strategies). The results of the present work demonstrated the suitability of the AnyBody model in computing lumbar spine loads at L4L5 level. Specific caution needs to be taken only when considering postures characterized bylarge lateral displacements or high lateral loading. The present findings promote the AnyBody model as an appropriate tool to non-invasively evaluate lumbar loads in physiological activities. Future studies can be aimed at evaluating the use of AnyBody modeling in pathological conditions known altering spine alignment, such as spine deformities and fixation strategies.