Isokinetic trunk testing and employment

Isokinetic trunk testing is often performed to evaluate ability to perform job tasks. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of isokinetic trunk testing in identifying people with limited functional lifting capability and likely future injury potential. Two hundred thirty work applicants for heavy labor in a steel mill underwent job-related lifting ability and isokinetic trunk evaluation. There was no difference between the isokinetic scores of women who did not meet the job lifting criteria and those who did meet the lifting criteria. There was no difference between the isokinetic scores of workers who experienced occupational low back injury and those workers who did not over almost a 6-year follow-up period. In this study isokinetic trunk evaluation was of no value in employee selection.