The influence of thermoplastic thoraco lumbo sacral orthoses on standing balance in subjects with idiopathic scoliosis

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 460-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minoo Khanal ◽  
Mokhtar Arazpour ◽  
Mahmood Bahramizadeh ◽  
Mohammad Samadian ◽  
Stephen W Hutchins ◽  
...  

Background: Idiopathic scoliosis patients have postural equilibrium problems. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess postural control in subjects with idiopathic scoliosis following a 4-month intervention in an unbraced position. Study design: Quasi-experimental. Methods: Eight healthy girls and eight girls with idiopathic scoliosis took part. A Kistler force platform was used with a frequency of 100 Hz for recording data. The center of pressure was recorded in different positions out of brace for scoliosis and healthy subjects. Test conditions were single limb and double limb stance, with eyes open and closed, and foam and rigid surfaces. Results: The data reflected a weak balance of idiopathic scoliosis subjects compared to healthy subjects. After 1 and 4 months of wearing the brace, center of pressure and center of gravity sway increased in the majority of the tests, although there were no significant differences in any of the test conditions (p > 0.05). While the center of pressure sway in medio-lateral direction decreased after 4 months of wearing a brace, in other variables center of pressure and center of gravity sway increased. Conclusion: Idiopathic scoliosis patients have weak balance in comparison to healthy subjects. In addition, following a period of 4 months of wearing a brace, balance parameters in the scoliosis subjects did not improve. The results show that we need more follow-up of orthoses wearing in idiopathic scoliosis subjects and suggest more studies at least 1-year follow-up to identify the efficiency of brace wear on balance. Clinical relevance Scoliosis can alter postural stability and balance performance during quiet standing. Spinal deformity can alter a subject’s ability to compensate for postural changes and cause gait deviations. This study investigated balance differences between the healthy and idiopathic scoliosis patients and the results of thoraco lumbo sacral orthosis brace wear. It might provide some new insight into the conservative treatment of idiopathic scoliosis patients for clinicians and researchers.

Author(s):  
Liliana Cațan ◽  
Simona Cerbu ◽  
Elena Amaricai ◽  
Oana Suciu ◽  
Delia Ioana Horhat ◽  
...  

(1) Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) can be associated with vitamin D deficiency and osteopenia. Plantar pressure and stabilometry offer important information about posture. The objectives of our study were to compare static plantar pressure and stabilometric parameters, serum 25-OH-vitamin D3 and calcium levels, and bone mineral densitometry expressed as z-score in patients with moderate AIS and healthy subjects. (2) Methods: 32 female adolescents (idiopathic S shaped moderate scoliosis, main lumbar curve) and 32 gender and age-matched controls performed: static plantar pressure, stabilometry, serum 25-OH-vitamin D3 and calcium levels, and dual X-ray absorptiometry scans of the spine. (3) Results: In scoliosis patients, significant differences were recorded between right and left foot for total foot, first and fifth metatarsal, and heel loadings. Stabilometry showed a poorer postural control when compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.001). Patients had significantly lower vitamin D, calcium levels, and z-scores. Lumbar Cobb angle was significantly correlated with the z-score (r = −0.39, p = 0.02), with right foot fifth metatarsal load (r = −0.35, p = 0.04), center of pressure CoPx (r = −0.42, p = 0.01), CoP displacement (r = 0.35, p = 0.04) and 90% confidence ellipse area (r = −0.38, p = 0.03). (4) Conclusions: In our study including female adolescents with idiopathic S shaped moderate scoliosis, plantar pressure and stabilometric parameters were influenced by the main scoliotic curve.


Author(s):  
Elżbieta Piątek ◽  
Michał Kuczyński ◽  
Bożena Ostrowska

Due to balance deficits that accompany adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), the potential interaction between activities of daily living and active self-correction movements (ASC) on postural control deserves particular attention. Our purpose was to assess the effects of ASC movements with or without a secondary mental task on postural control in twenty-five girls with AIS. It is a quasi-experimental within-subject design with repeated measures ANOVA. They were measured in four 20-s quiet standing trials on a force plate: no task, ASC, Stroop test, and both. Based on the center-of-pressure (COP) recordings, the COP parameters were computed. The ASC alone had no effect on any of the postural sway measures. Stroop test alone decreased COP speed and increased COP entropy. Performing the ASC movements and Stroop test together increased the COP speed and decreased COP entropy as compared to the baseline data. In conclusion, our results indicate that AIS did not interfere with postural control. The effects of the Stroop test accounted for good capacity of subjects with AIS to take advantage of distracting attentional resources from the posture. However, performing both tasks together exhibited some deficits in postural control, which may suggest the need for therapeutic consultation while engaging in more demanding activities.


Motor Control ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-112
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Azadinia ◽  
Ismail Ebrahimi-Takamjani ◽  
Mojtaba Kamyab ◽  
Morteza Asgari ◽  
Mohamad Parnianpour

The characteristics of postural sway were assessed in quiet standing under three different postural task conditions in 14 patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain and 12 healthy subjects using linear and nonlinear center of pressure parameters. The linear parameters consisted of area, the mean total velocity, sway amplitude, the SD of velocity, and the phase plane portrait. The nonlinear parameters included the Lyapunov exponent, sample entropy, and the correlation dimension. The results showed that the amount of postural sway was higher in the patients with low back pain compared with the healthy subjects. Assessing the nonlinear parameters of the center of pressure showed a lower sample entropy and a higher correlation dimension in the patients with low back pain compared with the healthy subjects. The results of this study demonstrate the greater regularity and higher dimensionality of the center of pressure fluctuations in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain, which suggests that these patients adopt different postural control strategies to maintain an upright stance.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Fawver ◽  
Garrett F. Beatty ◽  
Kelly M. Naugle ◽  
Chris J. Hass ◽  
Christopher M. Janelle

Emotional states influence whole-body movements during quiet standing, gait initiation, and steady state gait. A notable gap exists, however, in understanding how emotions affect postural changes during the period preceding the execution of planned whole-body movements. The impact of emotion-induced postural reactions on forthcoming posturomotor movements remains unknown. We sought to determine the influence of emotional reactions on center of pressure (COP) displacement before the initiation of forward gait. Participants (N = 23, 14 females) stood on a force plate and initiated forward gait at the offset of an emotional image (representing five discrete categories: attack, sad faces, erotica, happy faces, and neutral objects). COP displacement in the anteroposterior direction was quantified for a 2 second period during image presentation. Following picture onset, participants produced a posterior postural response to all image types. The greatest posterior displacement was occasioned in response to attack or threat stimuli compared with happy faces and erotica images. Results suggest the impact of emotional states on gait behavior begins during the motor planning period before the preparatory phase of gait initiation, and manifests in center of pressure displacement alterations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo H. Marchetti ◽  
Maria I.V. Orselli ◽  
Marcos Duarte

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of unilateral and bilateral fatigue on both postural and power bipedal tasks. Ten healthy subjects performed two tasks: bipedal quiet standing and a maximal bipedal counter-movement jumping before and after unilateral (with either the dominant or nondominant lower limb) and bilateral (with both lower limbs) fatigue. We employed two force plates (one under each lower limb) to measure the ground reaction forces and center of pressure produced by subjects during the tasks. To quantify the postural sway during quiet standing, we calculated the resultant center of pressure (COP) speed and COP area of sway, as well as the mean weight distribution between lower limbs. To quantify the performance during the countermovement jumping, we calculated the jump height and the peak force of each lower limb. We observed that both unilateral and bilateral fatigue affected the performance of maximal voluntary jumping and standing tasks and that the effects of unilateral and bilateral fatigue were stronger in the dominant limb than in the nondominant limb during bipedal tasks. We conclude that unilateral neuromuscular fatigue affects both postural and power tasks negatively.


Motor Control ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Takuya Ibara ◽  
Makoto Takahashi ◽  
Koichi Shinkoda ◽  
Mahito Kawashima ◽  
Masaya Anan

This study aimed to investigate the hip sway and the relationship between the center of pressure (CoP) and kinematic parameters regarding the time series scaling component α in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) during a one-leg standing task. The scaling exponent α, SD, hip sway maximal acceleration change, and balance performance, which was measured using CoP parameters, were compared between hip OA and control groups during a one-leg standing task. The relationships between balance performance with CoP parameters and kinematic parameters were investigated with the regression analysis. In the hip OA group, the scaling exponent α was smaller in the medial–lateral direction, and the SD and maximal amount of change in hip sway acceleration were larger in the anterior–posterior direction in the hip OA group. In this group, the CoP parameters were significantly associated with α in the medial–lateral direction (negatively) and in the anterior–posterior direction (positively). In the hip OA group, hip sway adaptability in the medial–lateral direction was limited, while the anterior–posterior direction showed greater movement.


2014 ◽  
Vol 94 (10) ◽  
pp. 1489-1498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charlotte M. Hunt ◽  
Gail Widener ◽  
Diane D. Allen

Background People with multiple sclerosis (MS) have diminished postural control, and center of pressure (COP) displacement varies more in this population than in healthy controls. Balance-based torso-weighting (BBTW) can improve clinical balance and mobility in people with MS, and exploration using both linear and nonlinear measures of COP may help determine whether BBTW optimizes movement variability. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of BBTW on people with MS and healthy controls during quiet standing. Design This was a quasi-experimental study comparing COP variability between groups, between eye closure conditions, and between weighting conditions in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions. Methods Twenty participants with MS and 18 healthy controls stood on a forceplate in 4 conditions: eyes open and closed and with and without BBTW. Linear measures of COP displacement included range and root mean square (RMS). Nonlinear measures included approximate entropy (ApEn) and Lyapunov exponent (LyE). Three-way repeated-measures analyses of variance compared measures across groups and conditions. The association between weighting response and baseline nonlinear variables was examined. When significant associations were found, MS subgroups were created and compared. Results The MS and control groups had significantly different range, RMS, and ApEn values. The eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions had significantly different range and RMS values. Change with weighting correlated with LyE (r=−.70) and ApEn (r=−.59). Two MS subgroups, with low and high baseline LyE values, responded to BBTW in opposite directions, with a significant main effect for weighting condition for the LyE variable in the medial-lateral direction. Limitations The small samples and no identification of impairments related to LyE at baseline were limitations of the study. Conclusions The LyE may help differentiate subgroups who respond differently to BBTW. In both subgroups, LyE values moved toward the average of healthy controls, suggesting that BBTW may help optimize movement variability in people with MS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 512-521
Author(s):  
Hongmei Chen ◽  
Zhen Hu ◽  
Yujuan Chai ◽  
Enxiang Tao ◽  
Kai Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Dynamic balance is associated with fall risk. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of galvanic vestibular stimulation with very low intensity direct current (dcGVS) on dynamic balance. Methodology We used a rocker force platform for assessing the dynamic balance performance. Center-of-pressure (COP) coordinates were acquired and decomposed to rambling (RA) and trembling (TR). We measured sway parameters, including length, average speed, and average range, affected by dcGVS at 0.01 mA with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). Results We assessed 33 young healthy subjects and found that all sway parameters were shorter in the EO condition, indicating a better dynamic balance performance. dcGVS significantly improved the dynamic balance performance both in EO and EC conditions. All the sway parameters in COP in EO were significantly shorter than those in EC, indicating a better dynamic balance performance in EO. In EO, RA had greater improvement rates than TR. In EC, only average speed had a greater improvement rate in RA, whereas length and average range had greater improvement rates in TR. These results indicate a different modulation model between EO and EC. Conclusion These findings indicate that very low intensity dcGVS improved the sway parameters of dynamic balance in young healthy subjects. Moreover, our results suggest different dynamic balance control models between having EO and EC. The mechanisms of these phenomena caused by very low intensity dcGVS require further investigation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (01) ◽  
pp. 1650007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-Chung Lin ◽  
Liang-Ching Tsai ◽  
Hsin-Yi Kathy Cheng ◽  
Yang-Hua Lin ◽  
Chih-Hsiu Cheng

Prolonged standing is related to various health problems such as lower back pain and lower extremity discomfort. This study was to investigate the effects of prolonged standing on posture control and whether the sloped surface is beneficial to adults who are required to stand for a long period of time. Twenty young healthy adults (age: [Formula: see text] years, height: [Formula: see text] cm, weight: [Formula: see text] kg, 6 males and 14 females) participated in this study. They were asked to perform a sixty-second quiet-standing evaluation first (i.e. the pre-test condition), then the thirty-minute standing test, and followed by the sixty-second standing test again (i.e. the post-test condition). They stood barefoot quietly on a force plate watching a video on television located 2 m ahead. Three sloped conditions, i.e. the level ground, inclined (with the ankle dorsiflexed), and declined (with the ankle plantarflexed), were randomly examined on separate days. The trajectory, maximal anteroposterior/mediolateral displacement, sway area, and complexity index (CI) of the center of pressure (CoP) during the standing tests were analyzed. Ten-point visual analogue scale (VAS) for perceived fatigue was also recorded. One-way ANOVA and paired t-test were used to analyze postural changes among sloped conditions before and after the prolonged standing. Signs of fatigue (VAS were [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for the level, inclined, and declined conditions, respectively) and significant increases in all CoP measures for the three slope conditions after thirty minutes of standing (all [Formula: see text]) were noted. Trajectory was greatest under inclined, followed by the declined and level conditions ([Formula: see text]). The CI was generally greater under the declined surface than the level and inclined surfaces along with the thirty-minute standing. These findings indicated that prolonged standing resulted in fatigue and increased postural changes, particularly on the inclined surface. A greater complexity on the declined surface implied that participants had better adaptability while standing on a declined surface than a flat or inclined surface. Current findings suggested that a declined surface could be a suitable choice for a prolonged standing and further studies are warranted to evaluate its efficacy on different career workers.


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