The Kinematic and Kinetic Responses of the Trunk and Lower Extremity Joints during Walking with and without the Spinal Orthosis

Abstract

Spinal orthoses are an effective option for restoring the spine to its original position and controlling poor posture. However, the effects of poor posture and spinal orthoses on the kinematics and kinetics of trunk and lower extremity joints remain unclear. A six-camera Vicon motion capture system and two AMTI force plates were employed to collect gait parameters, including joint angle (spine, thorax, hip, knee, and ankle), range of motion (ROM), and ground reaction forces (GRFs). Furthermore, joint moments and joint reaction forces (JRFs) were calculated using a full-body musculoskeletal model in OpenSim. One-way repeated-measures ANOVA (p < 0.05) was used to compare significant differences among three trial conditions. These three conditions were walking in a normal posture, poor posture, and spinal orthosis. The results showed that spine ROM in the coronal and transverse plane was significantly lower when walking with a spinal orthosis compared to walking in normal and poor posture (p < 0.05). Compared to normal posture, the lumbar moments and back compressive forces were significantly increased when walking in poor posture (p < 0.05). However, when walking with a spinal orthosis, there was a significant decrease in trunk moments and reaction forces compared to walking in poor posture (p < 0.05). Individuals with poor posture could potentially induce instability and disorders, as evidenced by an increase in trunk moments and JRF compared to the normal posture. Spinal orthosis not only restricts spine ROM but also reduces the load on the spine and thus increases balance and stability.

Kinematic characteristics of gait with different myopia: a cross-sectional study

“…Gait requires the combined movement of the joints and the surrounding muscles throughout the body with more significant movements in the joints of the lower limbs. The lower limb joints consist mainly of the hip, the knee, and the ankle, and the range of motion of each joint determines the soundness of the gait ( 2 , 23 , 24 ).…”

“…Wang et al conducted a study on the kinematics and dynamics of the trunk and the lower limb joints during walking in three different conditions: normal posture, poor posture, and with a spinal orthosis. The results obtained indicated that poor posture, such as an abnormal joint angle, has an impact on the kinematics and dynamics of the trunk during walking, which may be due to abnormal sensory inputs altering postural control (2,3). Vision is one of the primary sensory input organs, which effectively identifies the relative position of the body in space.…”