A Musculoskeletal Simulation Study to Evaluate the Influence of Postural and Anthropometric Variability on Intervertebral Loads During Manual Lifting in Construction

Computational simulation is a valuable tool for advancing personalized ergonomics. This study evaluated the ability of musculoskeletal simulation to estimate individual lumbar loading during manual lifting tasks representative of construction activities. Fifty-six Colombian adults were recruited to reflect national anthropometric distributions and grouped by BMI and stature. Participants performed two standardized lifting tasks with a 10 kg load: symmetric lifting from the floor to xiphoid height and lateral lifting from a 0.40 m surface to shoulder height with contralateral transfer. Whole-body kinematics and ground reaction forces were processed in OpenSim software using the validated model to estimate L5–S1 compression and shear forces. Results showed a moderate association between lumbar compression and body weight, while shear forces exhibited low correlations with kinematic variables. Subject-specific scaled models revealed substantial inter-individual differences in lumbar loading related to lifting technique and anthropometric characteristics, highlighting the potential of musculoskeletal simulation for personalized risk assessment in construction.