Musculoskeletal disorders : the fatigue failure mechanism / Sean Gallagher, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA, Mary F. Barbe, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"This book presents a new mechanism as to how musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) develop, not considered in previous books, but supported by several lines of evidence. Specifically, the book proposes that MSDs are the result of a material fatigue failure process in musculoskeletal tissues. It explains how fatigue failure theory provides a unifying framework for understanding why the physical risk factors of force, repetition, posture, and vibration exposures (encountered in many jobs) are associated with the development of MSDs. The realization that MSDs result from a fatigue failure process has many important ramifications. For example, there are many validated methods of assessing the development of damage in materials resulting from fatigue failure. These methods allow for the development of easy-to-use risk assessment tools that can assess the cumulative effects of exposure to highly variable loading conditions and can identify the proportion of the overall risk associated with specific tasks (helpful in prioritizing tasks requiring intervention). This is something prior risk assessment approaches have not provided. The fatigue failure risk assessment approach has been shown to be helpful in assessing other issues, such as the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of job rotation scenarios, as well as helping to quantify the effectiveness of exoskeletons. The book also discusses how fatigue failure techniques are well-positioned to address future advances in MSD risk assessment technology, for example, techniques are available to deconstruct complex continuous loading curves into cycles easily analyzed using fatigue failure techniques. However, it must be recognized that in the biological setting the fatigue failure mechanism is "modified" by the presence of remodeling and healing processes in musculoskeletal tissues. This book discusses the complexities associated with fatigue in a biological environment and presents models for understanding how the body strives to maintain musculoskeletal homeostasis through these unique processes. We discuss the potential impact of factors that might impair the healing mechanism (such as psychological stress, obesity and aging) and discuss in detail the dynamic processes of the biological system related to maintaining musculoskeletal health. Recent findings on musculoskeletal epidemiology are provided as well as a detailed overview of the musculoskeletal system"-- Provided by publisher.

About the Author
Sean Gallagher, PhD, CPE is the Hal N. and Peggy S. Pennington Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Auburn University. Dr. Gallagher has over 35 years of experience in the field of Ergonomics, including work for the U.S. Bureau of Mines, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Auburn University. He is a Fellow of both the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and the American Industrial Hygiene Association. He is a two-time recipient of the International Ergonomics Association/Liberty Mutual Medal in Occupational Safety and Ergonomics (2013 and 2018) and a recipient of the 2020 Paper of the Year award from the journal Ergonomics. He has received various other team-based awards, including the 2009 Alice Hamilton Award for Excellence in Occupational Safety and Health (Educational Materials Category) and the 2011 HHSInnovates Award (Secretary's Pick).

Mary F Barbe, PhD, FAAA, is currently a Full Professor in the Center for Translational Medicine at Lewis Katz School of Medicine of Temple University in Philadelphia. She has over 212 peer reviewed publications. She has been involved in research investigating mechanisms and treatments for pain and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (repetitive strain injuries) in humans and using rat models. Dr. Barbe is a Fellow of the American Association of Anatomists (FAAA) and of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research. She is also the president of the Advances in Mineral Metabolism society for 2021-2023. She is the recipient of the Senior Faculty Research Excellence Award from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine in 2017, the Temple University Faculty Research Award from Temple University in 2019, the Educator Award from the Philadelphia Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience in 2008, the Christian R and Mary F Lindback Foundation Award from Temple University for Distinguished Teaching in 2008, and the Excellence in Teaching Award from College of Allied Health Professions in 1997 and 2007. Other awards that she has received include various team-based awards, including The ISSLS Prize for Lumbar Spine Research 2018 from the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine.