Saskia Baltrusch

154 Chapter 6 Abstract The aim of this study was to assess functional performance and user satisfaction of workers with and without a history of low-back pain when wearing a passive trunk exoskeleton (SPEXOR). 24 male participants, including 18 workers from load-handling professions, participated in this study. We allocated 13 to a low back pain group and 11 to a healthy group for subgroup analysis. Wearing the exoskeleton increased objective performance in lifting and static forward bending, but decreased in walking, stair climbing and wide stance. Perceived task difficulty and local discomfort in the low back decreased, wearing the exoskeleton. Problems with previous devices, e.g. interference with tasks, discomfort and restricted range of motion, were resolved. The effects were generally bigger for the low-back pain than for the healthy group. SPEXOR can be used in the working environment for unloading the back and decreasing local discomfort in the low back during load-handling tasks. Future designs should consider improving comfort and increasing (perceived) support. Subgroup analysis suggests that an exoskeleton has bigger potential as pain management intervention than as primary prevention.