Belly Fat Forces on the Spine: Finite Element Analysis of Belly Fat Forces by Waist Circumference.

Object: It has been well-established that obesity, or the fat content of the belly, is associated with diabetes, heart conditions, metabolic syndrome and back pain. With regard to back pain, this study aimed to assess the forces that incremental amounts of belly fat exert on the spine.

Methods: A finite element analysis (FEA) was performed with a 3D CAD model of the spine using data for various populations from the Dallas Heart Study.

Backpack Forces on the Spine.

Object: Backpacks are standard load carriers for people of all ages, especially school children and the military. Previous studies have described the impact of the forces exerted by backpacks on load distribution, back pain, and gait. The objective of this study was to use finite element analysis (FEA) to assess the effects of incremental weights in a backpack on the spine.