Investigation of Spinal Posture Signatures and Ground Reaction Forces During Landing in Elite Female Gymnasts

Abstract

The link between static and dynamic landing lumbar postures, when gymnasts are exposed to large ground reaction forces, has not been established. This investigation aimed to (a) determine if a relationship exists between sagittal static and dynamic landing lumbar spine angles at peak ground reaction force (GRF) and (b) quantify how close to end-range postures the gymnasts were at landing peak GRF. Twenty-one female gymnasts' upper and lower lumbar spine angles were recorded: statically in sitting and standing, during landing of three gymnastic skills, and during active end-range lumbar flexion. Pearson's correlations were used to investigate relationships between the angles in different postures. Significant correlations (r = .77-.89, p < .01) were found between all the static/dynamic postures in the lower lumbar spine angle, while fewer and less significant upper lumbar spine correlations were reported. Thirty percent of gymnasts landed a backsault with their lower lumbar spine flexed beyond their active end-range while experiencing GRF 6.8-13.3 times their body weight. These results inform low back pain prevention and management strategies in this population and highlight areas for future research.

Abdominal bracing during lifting alters trunk muscle activity and body kinematics

“…Retroreflective markers were affixed to anatomical landmarks on the participant's lower limbs, lumbar region and thorax as outlined previously (Besier et al, 2003), with placements known to be reliable (Wade et al, 2012) and in accordance to International Society of Biomechanics recommendations (Wu et al, 2002). For each participant, a static trial was collected for anatomical landmark calibration (Besier et al, 2003).…”

“…Subsequently, kinematic trajectories were filtered using a low-pass Butterworth filter with a 10 Hz cut-off frequency. A mathematical model was used for a Z-X-Y Euler angle decomposition to calculate relevant lower limb, low-back and thorax angles (Besier et al, 2003;Wade et al, 2012). These angles included flexion (all in the sagittal plane) of the foot, tibia, femur, pelvis, lumbar spine and thorax with respect to the global reference frame.…”

The geometric curvature of the spine of runners during maximal incremental effort test

“…However, in dynamic situations such as running, research on the existence of subject-specific characteristics in spinal curvature are still incipient. Wade et al (2012) investigated postural signatures in the lumbar region of gymnasts, finding correlations among the postures adopted during the landing of three gymnastic skills, the sitting posture, and the orthostatic position. In the case of running, in preliminary studies, and Deprá et al (2012) observed that twodimensional geometric curvature of the spine oscillated around a stable average curve called the Neutral Curve (KN).…”

The Effect of Teeth Clenching on Dynamic Balance at Jump-Landing: A Pilot Study

“…[27][28][29][30][31][32] Several recent studies revealed the positive effects of teeth clenching on static balance. [10][11][12][13][14][15] However, it is suggested that teeth clenching during jump-landing may adversely affect dynamic balance control in this study.…”