Postural Stability Assessment of University Marching Musicians Using Force Platform Measures

Lower extremity injury is prevalent in marching musicians, and poor postural stability is a possible risk factor for this. The external load of an instrument may predispose these performers to injury by decreasing postural stability. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between instrument load and static and dynamic postural stability in this population. Fourteen university marching musicians were recruited and completed a balance assessment protocol on a force platform with and without their instrument. Mean center of pressure (CoP) displacement was then calculated for each exercise in the anterior/posterior and medial/lateral planes. Mean anterior/posterior CoP displacement significantly increased in the instrument condition for the static surface, eyes closed, 2 feet condition (p≤0.005; d=0.89). No significant differences were found in the medial/lateral plane between non-instrument and instrument conditions. Significant differences were not found between test stance conditions independent of group. Comparisons between the non-instrument-loaded and instrument-loaded conditions revealed possible significance of instrument load on postural stability in the anterior/posterior plane. Mean differences indicated that an unstable surface created a greater destabilizing effect on postural stability than instrument load.

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The Effect of Footrest on Standing Postural Control

Motor Control ◽

10.1123/mc.2013-0017 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 207-222 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mohan Ganesan ◽

Yun-Ju Lee ◽

Alexander S. Aruin

Keyword(s):

Postural Control ◽

Postural Stability ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Well Being ◽

Force Platform ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Additional Information ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Mean Square Distance

The use of a footrest while performing activity in standing is frequently associated with improvement of a user’s well-being however no information exists on the role of a footrest in improving postural stability. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of using a footrest in postural control. Twenty healthy young volunteers were tested using three experimental conditions: standing with two feet on the force platform and standing on the force platform when one foot was placed on a 15 cm footrest positioned in front or laterally. The mean and root mean square distance, range and velocity of the center of pressure (COP) were calculated in the anterior-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions using the force platform data. The COP displacements in AP and ML directions increased in conditions of standing with one foot placed on the footrest regardless of its location. Standing with eyes closed increased COP displacements further. The outcome of the study suggests the importance of using COP measures for evaluation of postural stability and provides additional information needed for optimization of working conditions involving standing with a footrest.

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Effects of Hand Vibration on Postural Stability

Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193129203601027 ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 36 (10) ◽

pp. 765-769

Author(s):

Lisa Fletcher ◽

Hee-Seok Park ◽

Bernard J Martin

Keyword(s):

Risk Factor ◽

Postural Stability ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Environmental Context ◽

Proprioceptive Information ◽

Vibration Exposure ◽

Dominant Hand ◽

Erect Posture ◽

Spatial Reference ◽

Eyes Closed

The present work was aimed at defining the contribution of vibration-induced perturbation of hand proprioceptive/exteroceptive feedback on standing equilibrium. A vibrating handle, free in space or fixed to a stationary support, was held in the dominant hand while maintaining an erect posture on a force platform, eyes closed. Four arm positions were used. The results show that body sways increase significantly during hand vibration exposure when the handle is fixed. Significant shifts of the center of pressure COP are elicited in every situations. Furthermore, the shifts of the COP are clearly oriented in the direction of the handle when this latter is fixed. It is suggested that the proprioceptive information issued from the hand contributes to the elaboration of a spatial reference and to the control of posture as a function of the environmental context. These results indicate that hand vibration exposure can be considered as a risk factor which may contribute to fall accidents.

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The influence of an aquatic exercise program on balance in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckab120.008 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (Supplement_2) ◽

Author(s):

Margarida Ferreira ◽

Cristina Mesquita ◽

Paula Santos ◽

João Borges ◽

Maria Graça ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ankylosing Spondylitis ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Exercise Program ◽

Wilcoxon Test ◽

Aquatic Exercise ◽

Body Sway ◽

Mean Velocity ◽

Assessment Protocol ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open

Abstract Background Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that leads to a limitation of mobility, which can cause postural deficits and progressive loss of balance. Aquatic exercise improves this health condition. The objetive is to verify the influence of an aquatic exercise program, on balance and functionality, in individuals with AS. Methods Pre-experimental study carried out on 6 individuals with AS. All individuals were assessed at baseline (M0) and 12 weeks after the intervention (M1) using the Bath indices (BASMI, BASFI and BASDAI) and the balance assessment protocol (‘Body Sway’) by the Physiosensing Platform. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Program Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 26. Were used descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon test to compare M0 and M1. The significance value was 0.05. Results We verify improvements in BASMI (P = 0.046), BASFI (P = 0.042) and BASDAI (P = 0.027) scores. Through the analysis of the center of pressure variables, there were no statistically significant differences, between moments, in the protocol. However, when assessing balance, in the anteroposterior mean distance in both the protocol (eyes open) and in the protocol (eyes closed), in the root mean square in both protocols and in mediolateral mean velocity, only in the protocol (eyes open), there was a slight decrease in the median value. Conclusions The present study suggests that the specific aquatic exercise program, may influence balance and improve functionality in a population with AS. Therefore, the Bath indices translate improvements in the symptoms and functionalities of these participants.

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Effect of Toe Type on Static Balance in Ballet Dancers

Medical Problems of Performing Artists ◽

10.21091/mppa.2020.1005 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 35-41

Author(s):

Momoko Kizawa ◽

Toshito Yasuda ◽

Hiroaki Shima ◽

Katsunori Mori ◽

Seiya Tsujinaka ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Postural Stability ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Ground Reaction Forces ◽

Bipedal Stance ◽

Ballet Dancers ◽

Maximum Range ◽

Trajectory Length ◽

Reaction Forces ◽

Second Toe ◽

Anterior Posterior

OBJECTIVES: Some forefoot shapes are ideal for pointe work in ballet. Egyptian-type, with the hallux being longest and the remaining toes decreasing in size, and Greek-type, with the second toe longer than the hallux, are considered less optimal for pointe work. Square-type, with the second toe the same length as the hallux, is considered optimal. This study compared postural stability in the bipedal stance, demi pointe, and en pointe between ballet dancers with the two toe types using a stabilometer. METHODS: This study included 25 Japanese ballet academy dancers who had received ballet lessons for at least 6 years. Toes were categorized into Egyptian-type (n=14) and square-type (n=11). Bipedal stance, demi pointe, and en pointe were tested. Center of pressure (COP) parameters were calculated from ground-reaction forces using two force plates: total trajectory length (LNG), velocities of anterior-posterior (VAP) and medial-lateral directions (VML), and maximum range displacement in the anterior-posterior (MAXAP) and medial-lateral directions (MAXML). Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to examine differences in COP parameters. RESULTS: There were no differences in parameters during bipedal stance or demi pointe. However, dancers with Egyptian-type toes had significantly greater LNG (p<0.01), VML (p=0.01), MAXML (p<0.01), and MAXAP (p=0.03) during en pointe. CONCLUSIONS: Ballet dancers with Egyptian-type toes demonstrated greater displacement in the medial-lateral and anterior-posterior directions during en pointe. Ballet dancers should be aware of toe types and sway character to optimize ballet training and balance.

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Reliability of Force-Platform Measures of Postural Sway and Expertise-Related Differences

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.20.4.442 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 20 (4) ◽

pp. 442-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Zohreh Meshkati ◽

Mehdi Namazizadeh ◽

Mahyar Salavati ◽

Masood Mazaheri

Keyword(s):

Outcome Measures ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Specific Property ◽

Force Platform ◽

Quiet Standing ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Before And After ◽

Eyes Open

Context:Although reliability is a population-specific property, few studies have investigated the measurement error associated with force-platform parameters in athletic populations.Objective:To investigate the skill-related differences between athletes and nonathletes in reliability of center-of-pressure (COP) summary measures under eyes-open (EO) and eyes-closed (EC) conditions.Design:Test–retest reliability study.Setting:COP was recorded during double-leg quiet standing on a Kistler force platform before and after a fatiguing treadmill exercise, with EO and EC.Participants:31 male participants including 15 athletes practiced in karate and 16 nonathletes.Main Outcome Measures:Standard deviation (SD) of amplitude, phase-plane portrait, SD of velocity, mean total velocity, and area were calculated from 30-s COP data. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement, and coefficient of variation (CV) were used as estimates of reliability and precision.Results:Higher ICCs were found for COP measures in the athlete (compared with the nonathlete) group, postfatigued (compared with prefatigued) condition, and EC (compared with EO) tests. CVs smaller than 15% were obtained for most of the COP measures. SD of velocity in the anteroposterior direction showed the highest reliability in most conditions.Conclusions:Tests with EC and to a lesser extent tests performed in the athlete group and in the postfatigued condition showed better reliability.

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Postural Stability in Athletes: The Role of Age, Sex, Performance Level, and Athlete Shoe Features

Sports ◽

10.3390/sports8060089 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 89

Author(s):

Albina Andreeva ◽

Andrey Melnikov ◽

Dmitry Skvortsov ◽

Kadriya Akhmerova ◽

Alexander Vavaev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Postural Stability ◽

Female Athletes ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Performance Level ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Different Types ◽

Eyes Open ◽

Athletic Shoes ◽

Posture Stability

The effects of different factors—such as age, sex, performance level, and athletic shoe features—on postural balance in athletes remain unclear. The main objective of our study is to identify the features of postural stability in athletes of different age, sex, performance level, and using different types of athletic shoes. This study assessed postural stability in athletes (n = 936, 6–47 years) in a normal bipedal stance with eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC). Postural stability was evaluated based on the center of pressure (COP), sway area (AS), and velocity (VCP) while standing on a stabiloplatform. Children (6–12 years) and teen athletes (13–17 years) showed reduced AS-EO (p < 0.01) and VCP-EO (p < 0.01) compared to control (n = 225, 7–30 years). In male and female athletes aged 18+, only VCP-EC was lower versus control. In females (13–17 and 18+), VCP-EO and EC were lower than in males (p < 0.05). Only in the Shooting group, the athletes’ performance levels had an effect on VCP-EO (p = 0.020). Long use of rigid athletic shoes with stiff ankle support was associated with reduced posture stability. Postural stability in athletes was mostly influenced by the athlete‘s age, and, to a lesser extent, by their sex, performance level, and athlete shoe features.

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Postural Stability in Obese Preoperative Bariatric Patients Using Static and Dynamic Evaluation

Obesity Facts ◽

10.1159/000509163 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 499-513

Author(s):

Gabriel M. Pagnotti ◽

Amna Haider ◽

Ariel Yang ◽

Kathryn E. Cottell ◽

Catherine M. Tuppo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Postural Stability ◽

Postural Sway ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Postural Instability ◽

Patient Specific ◽

Morbidly Obese ◽

Tissue Quality ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Obese Subjects ◽

The Impact

Introduction: Globally, 300 million adults have clinical obesity. Heightened adiposity and inadequate musculature secondary to obesity alter bipedal stance and gait, diminish musculoskeletal tissue quality, and compromise neuromuscular feedback; these physiological changes alter stability and increase injury risk from falls. Studies in the field focus on obese patients across a broad range of body mass indices (BMI >30 kg/m2) but without isolating the most morbidly obese subset (BMI ≥40 kg/m2). We investigated the impact of obesity in perturbing postural stability in morbidly obese subjects elected for bariatric intervention, harboring a higher-spectrum BMI. Subjects and Methods: Traditional force plate measurements and stabilograms are gold standards employed when measuring center of pressure (COP) and postural sway. To quantify the extent of postural instability in subjects with obesity before bariatric surgery, we assessed 17 obese subjects with an average BMI of 40 kg/m2 in contrast to 13 nonobese subjects with an average BMI of 30 kg/m2. COP and postural sway were measured from static and dynamic tasks. Involuntary movements were measured when patients performed static stances, with eyes either opened or closed. Two additional voluntary movements were measured when subjects performed dynamic, upper torso tasks with eyes opened. Results: Mean body weight was 85% (p < 0.001) greater in obese than nonobese subjects. Following static balance assessments, we observed greater sway displacement in the anteroposterior (AP) direction in obese subjects with eyes open (87%, p < 0.002) and eyes closed (76%, p = 0.04) versus nonobese subjects. Obese subjects also exhibited a higher COP velocity in static tests when subjects’ eyes were open (47%, p = 0.04). Dynamic tests demonstrated no differences between groups in sway displacement in either direction; however, COP velocity in the mediolateral (ML) direction was reduced (31%, p < 0.02) in obese subjects while voluntarily swaying in the AP direction, but increased in the same cohort when swaying in the ML direction (40%, p < 0.04). Discussion and Conclusion: Importantly, these data highlight obesity’s contribution towards increased postural instability. Obese subjects exhibited greater COP displacement at higher AP velocities versus nonobese subjects, suggesting that clinically obese individuals show greater instability than nonobese subjects. Identifying factors contributory to instability could encourage patient-specific physical therapies and presurgical measures to mitigate instability and monitor postsurgical balance improvements.

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Use of Stabilometric Platform and Evaluation of Methods for Further Measurments – A Pilot Study

Acta Medica (Hradec Kralove Czech Republic) ◽

10.14712/18059694.2017.71 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 50 (2) ◽

pp. 139-143 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Jitka Jančová ◽

Vlasta Tošnerová

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Quiet Standing ◽

Parallel Testing ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Eyes Open ◽

Single Force ◽

Test Retest Reliability ◽

Evaluation Of Methods ◽

Anterior Posterior

Posture in a still stance has been quantified by changes in the center of pressure (COP), in both anterior-posterior (A/P) and medial-lateral (M/L) directions and measured on a single force platform (Bertec PRO VEC 5.0). The purpose of this study was to estimate the variance in error and the intrasession test-retest reliability, and to determine which measures shall be taken for further measurements, especially with adults age 65 and older. We used two types of approximation for the reliability coefficient. Firstly, we used the equation according to Blahuš (2) and secondly we used the Pearson’s correlation coefficient for test-retest measurements. The findings allow us to say, among other things, that the tests of quiet standing Double Narrow Stance Eyes Open (DNSEO) and Double Narrow Stance Eyes Closed (DNSEC) are parallel, in the sense of parallel testing.

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Assessing Postural Instability and Cybersickness Through Linear and Angular Displacement

Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ◽

10.1177/0018720819881254 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 001872081988125 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christopher Widdowson ◽

Israel Becerra ◽

Cameron Merrill ◽

Ranxiao Frances Wang ◽

Steven LaValle

Keyword(s):

Postural Stability ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Angular Displacement ◽

Convincing Evidence ◽

Constant Speed ◽

Fluctuation Analysis ◽

Common Belief ◽

Variable Speed ◽

Severity Scores ◽

Anterior Posterior

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that constant speed is more comfortable than variable speed profiles and may minimize cybersickness. Background: Current best practices for virtual reality (VR) content creation suggest keeping any form of acceleration as short and infrequent as possible to mitigate cybersickness. Methods: In Experiment 1, participants experienced repetitions of simulated linear motion, and in Experiment 2, they experienced repetitions of a circular motion. Three speed profiles were tested in each experiment. Each trial lasted 2 min while standing. Cybersickness was measured using the Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) and operationally defined in terms of total severity scores. Postural stability was measured using a Wii Balance Board and operationally defined in terms of center of pressure (COP) path length. Postural measures were decomposed into anterior-posterior and medial-lateral axes and subjected to detrended fluctuation analysis. Results: For both experiments, no significant differences were observed between the three speed profiles in terms of cybersickness or postural stability, and none of the baseline postural measures could predict SSQ scores for the speed profile conditions. An axis effect was observed in both experiments such that normalized COP movement was significantly greater along the anterior-posterior axis than the medial-lateral axis. Conclusion: Results showed no convincing evidence to support the common belief that constant speed is more comfortable than variable speed profiles for scenarios typical of VR applications. Application: The present findings offer guidelines for the design of locomotion techniques involving traversal in VR environments.

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Effects of Interrupting Sitting with Use of a Treadmill Desk Versus Prolonged Sitting on Postural Stability

International Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1055/a-0975-9313 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 40 (13) ◽

pp. 871-875

Author(s):

Laura H. Charalambous ◽

Rachael B. Champion ◽

Lindsey R. Smith ◽

Andrew C. S. Mitchell ◽

Daniel P. Bailey

Keyword(s):

Light Intensity ◽

Postural Stability ◽

Center Of Pressure ◽

Communicable Disease ◽

Pressure Amplitude ◽

Prolonged Sitting ◽

Eyes Closed ◽

Unipedal Standing ◽

Eyes Open ◽

Post Condition

AbstractHigh amounts of sitting increase the risk of non-communicable disease and mortality. Treadmill desks make it possible to reduce sitting during the desk-based workerʼs day. This study investigated the acute effect on postural stability of interrupting prolonged sitting with an accumulated 2-h of light-intensity treadmill desk walking. Twenty-one sedentary adults participated in this randomized acute crossover trial, with two 6.5 h conditions: 1) uninterrupted sitting and 2) interrupted sitting with accumulated 2 h light-intensity treadmill desk walking. Pre- and post-condition, participants performed four postural stability tests on a pressure plate (bipedal and unipedal standing stance, eyes open and eyes closed). Anteroposterior center of pressure amplitude showed a significant condition x time interaction in bipedal eyes closed (F(1,20)=4.62, p=0.046) and unipedal eyes open (F(1,20)=9.42, p=0.006) tests, and mediolateral center of pressure amplitude in bipedal eyes closed (F(1,20)=6.12, p=0.023) and bipedal eyes open (F(1,12)=5.55, p=0.029) tests. In the significant interactions, amplitude increased pre to post condition in the uninterrupted sitting condition. The accumulated 2 h light-intensity treadmill desk walking ameliorated the negative effect of 6.5 h prolonged sitting on postural sway, supporting workplace treadmill desk use.

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