Wey J1, Döpgen S1, Pütz SE1, Müller S1
1Trier University of Applied Science, Department of Computer Science / Therapy Science, Trier, Germany
Background: For physical therapy it is essential to identify reliably alterations in the movement pattern in back pain patients or changes during the therapy process. The three-dimensional motion analysis is increasingly used in the analysis of kinematics and movement disorders of the musculoskeletal system. Especially for daily live activity the knowledge about the inter-individual kinematic differences are not well investigated. However, insight into the normal alterations in these daily life activities might help to make a reasonable therapy allocation or evaluation in patients.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-individual variability of the lumbar and thoracic spine kinematics in healthy subjects during a downward-lifting task (DLT) as a daily life task.
Methods: Nine healthy male participants (30,2±12,3 years, 184,9±5,7 cm, 82,5±19,6 kg) were assessed during DLT using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The movements were recorded with the OptiTrack system based on 16 infrared cameras using the Rizzoli biomechanical trunk-model (15 markers). At the DLT the subjects had to lift a box from a 1.26 m high stack and place it on the ground in front of them. Three-dimensional joint angles of the lumbar and thoracic spine (max, min, ROM) served as outcome measures. Descriptive statistics (mean ± SD, coefficient of variance CV) was applied.
Results: The nine healthy people displayed a range of motion (ROM) from 7° to 91° (MV 59°, SD±26°) on the sagittal plane, 10° to 22° (MV 16°, SD±4°) on the transverse plane and 5° to 20° (MV 10°, SD±66°) on the frontal plane. The ROM of the thoracic spine were to 33° to 107° (MW 74°, SD±28°) on the sagittal plane, 9° to 32° (MW 15, SD±8°) on the transverse plane and 4° to 21° (MW 10°, SD±5°) on the frontal plane.
The coefficient of variance (CV) for the ROM of the lumbar spine were 43% for flexion/extension, 25% for rotation and 58% for the lateral-flexion. Values of 38% for flexion/extension, 52% for rotation, and 47% for lateral flexion were found in the thoracic spine.
Conclusion(s): The study shows that the daily activity of the DLT provides moderate to high interindividual differences in the trunk-kinematic for healthy male subjects. This means, that lifting and putting down objects is a highly individual movement and it is not a general kinematic movement pattern. Therefore, these measures have to be seen critically in the identification of deficits between healthy and patients. Nevertheless, future research should show if these measures are valid in the inter-individual evaluation during the therapy process.
Implications: This study displays the challenge to identify standardized daily life tasks and to account for the individuality in these movement patterns. Furthermore, the interpretation of kinematic data should be done with cautious in respect to the selected task and variables.
Keywords: 3D-Motion capture, ADL, joint angle
Funding acknowledgements: no funding
Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter-individual variability of the lumbar and thoracic spine kinematics in healthy subjects during a downward-lifting task (DLT) as a daily life task.
Methods: Nine healthy male participants (30,2±12,3 years, 184,9±5,7 cm, 82,5±19,6 kg) were assessed during DLT using a three-dimensional motion analysis system. The movements were recorded with the OptiTrack system based on 16 infrared cameras using the Rizzoli biomechanical trunk-model (15 markers). At the DLT the subjects had to lift a box from a 1.26 m high stack and place it on the ground in front of them. Three-dimensional joint angles of the lumbar and thoracic spine (max, min, ROM) served as outcome measures. Descriptive statistics (mean ± SD, coefficient of variance CV) was applied.
Results: The nine healthy people displayed a range of motion (ROM) from 7° to 91° (MV 59°, SD±26°) on the sagittal plane, 10° to 22° (MV 16°, SD±4°) on the transverse plane and 5° to 20° (MV 10°, SD±66°) on the frontal plane. The ROM of the thoracic spine were to 33° to 107° (MW 74°, SD±28°) on the sagittal plane, 9° to 32° (MW 15, SD±8°) on the transverse plane and 4° to 21° (MW 10°, SD±5°) on the frontal plane.
The coefficient of variance (CV) for the ROM of the lumbar spine were 43% for flexion/extension, 25% for rotation and 58% for the lateral-flexion. Values of 38% for flexion/extension, 52% for rotation, and 47% for lateral flexion were found in the thoracic spine.
Conclusion(s): The study shows that the daily activity of the DLT provides moderate to high interindividual differences in the trunk-kinematic for healthy male subjects. This means, that lifting and putting down objects is a highly individual movement and it is not a general kinematic movement pattern. Therefore, these measures have to be seen critically in the identification of deficits between healthy and patients. Nevertheless, future research should show if these measures are valid in the inter-individual evaluation during the therapy process.
Implications: This study displays the challenge to identify standardized daily life tasks and to account for the individuality in these movement patterns. Furthermore, the interpretation of kinematic data should be done with cautious in respect to the selected task and variables.
Keywords: 3D-Motion capture, ADL, joint angle
Funding acknowledgements: no funding
Topic: Musculoskeletal: spine; Human movement analysis
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Trier University of Applied Science; Department of Computer Science
Ethics committee: Institutional committee
Reason not required: This study was carried out as part of a Bachelor thesis in physical therapy and involves exclusively a daily life activity in healthy. The study has been approved by the institutional committee. All subjects voluntarily participated and gave, after being sufficiently informed, written informed consent.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
