Feasibility of a Full-Field Measurements-Based Protocol for the Biomechanical Study of a Lumbar Belt: A Case Study

Low back pain represents a major economic and societal challenge due to its high prevalence. Lumbar orthoses are one of the recommended treatments. Even if previous results showed their clinical effects, the detailed mode of action is still poorly known, making the device design difficult. A renewed instrumentation and experimental protocol should bring better insight into the lumbar brace–trunk mechanical interaction. This instrumentation should give detailed information on the basic physical or geometrical parameters: the pressure applied on the trunk, the body shape and the strain in the belt. The principal objective of this study was to propose and validate a new measurement protocol, based on pressure mapping systems and full-field shape and strain measurement. The feasibility of the protocol was tested along with its validity and repeatability. The influence of various parameters, which could cause changes in the measurements, was tested with six different belt configurations on one subject. Measurements were also performed to study the impact of posture on pressure and strain. Both pressure and strain appeared to be asymmetric from left to right. The pressure applied by the lumbar belt on the back varies with breathing and with posture. This study showed that full-field measurements were necessary to render the high variability of pressure or strain around the trunk, under recommendations of their use to guarantee a satisfying repeatability.