The digital inclinometer is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring thoracic kyphosis and can be used for regular screening. In contrast, the flexicurve has poor interrater and intrarater reliability.
BackgroundFalling is one of the most important risks for elderly people that may be associated with serious consequences. 1 Studies in the United States considered falling to be the sixth cause of mortality in people older than 65 years. 2 About 30% of individuals aged over 65 years experience at least one fall per year, and the condition requires medical care in 20% of the cases. 3,4 Postural stability, or balance, is the ability to maintain the center of mass (COM) within the limits of base of support. The COM is equal to the center of total body mass Method: Eighteen participants (16 women and 2 men), aged 60-80 years, with thoracic kyphosis greater than 50°, completed the study procedure. Subjects were randomly allocated to two groups, namely, Spinomed orthosis and the posture-training support groups. Sensory organization test and limits of stability were assessed using the EquiTest system and the Balance Master system, respectively. Balance score, directional control, and reaction time were measured to evaluate balance with and without orthosis in a random order. Results: In the posture-training support group, significant changes were observed in the studied balance parameters: balance score (p < 0.001), directional control (p = 0.027), and reaction time (p = 0.047). There was a significant change in balance score (p < 0.001) and directional control (p = 0.032) in the Spinomed group. However, there were no significant differences in the effect of the two orthoses, the Spinomed orthosis and posture-training support, on balance factors. Conclusion: Both Spinomed orthosis and posture-training support may improve balance in the elderly with thoracic hyperkyphosis in a similar manner.
Clinical relevanceDespite the importance of falls suffered by elderly people, not much attention has been paid to balance improvement and fall prevention while managing hyperkyphosis. This study evaluates the effect of the Spinomed orthosis and posture-training support on balance in hyperkyphotic elderly people. It provides some new insights into reducing the risk of falls for elderly people.
Background: Poor balance performance and impaired postural control have been frequently reported in patients with low back pain.
However, postural control is rarely monitored during the course of treatment even though poor postural control may contribute to
chronicity and recurrence of symptoms. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating the effect of a nonextensible lumbosacral
orthosis (LSO) versus routine physical therapy on postural stability of patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain.
Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial conducted between November 2015 and May 2016 at the outpatient physical therapy
clinic of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences. Patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain aged 20 to 55 years were randomly
allocated to the intervention and control groups. Both groups received 8 sessions of physical therapy twice weekly for 4 weeks. The
intervention group received nonextensible LSO in addition to routine physical therapy. Pain intensity, functional disability, fear of
movement/ (re)injury, and postural stability in 3 levels of postural difficulty were measured before and after 4 weeks of intervention. A
2×2×3 mixed model of analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the main and interactive effects of the 3 factors including
group, time, and postural difficulty conditions for each variable of postural stability.
Results: The LSO and control groups displayed significant improvement in postural stability at the most difficult postural task conditions
(P-value for 95% area ellipse was 0.003; and for phase plane, the mean total velocity and standard deviation of velocity was
<0.001). Both groups exhibited a decrease in pain intensity, Oswestry Disability Index, and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia after 4
weeks of intervention. A significant difference between groups was found only for functional disability, with greater improvement in
the orthosis group (t = 3.60, P<0.001).
Conclusion: Both routine physical therapy and LSO significantly improved clinical and postural stability outcomes immediately after
4 weeks of intervention. The orthosis group did not display superior outcomes, except for functional disability.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.