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Variability of the spine and pelvis location with respect to the gravity line: a three-dimensional stereoradiographic study using a force platform

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Abstract

Analyzing standing posture requires a precise measure of the orientation of the various body segments with respect to the gravitational vector. We studied the posture variability of 34 healthy upright standing subjects. Using a force platform combined with a powerful stereoradiographic technique, we acquired the spine and pelvis three-dimensional (3D) geometry and located it with respect to the gravity line. For our data set, the mean 3D distance between the geometrical center of each vertebral body and the gravity line was 28 mm with a standard deviation of 5.6 mm. The vertebrae location variability, defined as plus or minus twice the mean standard deviation, was ±40 mm in the sagittal plane and ±25 mm in the frontal plane. The line connecting the middle of the external acoustic meatus (center of both acoustic meati: CAM) to the middle of the bi-coxo-femoral axis (hip axis: HA) was almost vertical. Its mean distance to the gravity line was 30 mm. Our data show a left lateralization, with respect to the gravity line, of the "Head-Spine-Pelvis" segments. The mean distance was 7.6 mm (SD 1.6 mm). This might be due to uneven partitioning of the body mass on each side of the sagittal plane.

Résumé

L'étude de la posture nécessite la détermination de l'orientation des différents segments du corps par rapport au vecteur de la gravité. Le but de cette étude était de caractériser de manière tridimensionnelle la variabilité du positionnement de sujets sains par rapport à la ligne de gravité lorsque ces sujets sont placés en station érigée. Pour cela nous avons utilisé de manière combinée une technique de stéréoradiographie et une plate-forme de force. Ce dispositif nous a permis d'acquérir de manière tridimensionnelle et chez des sujets en charge la géométrie du rachis et du pelvis, ainsi que la position de la ligne de gravité du corps entier. La ligne de gravité se situait en moyenne à une distance 3D de 28±5,6 mm des centres géométriques des corps vertébraux. La variabilité de positionnement des vertèbres dans le plan sagittal par rapport à la ligne de gravité était de l'ordre de ±4 cm, et de ±2,5 cm dans le plan frontal. L'axe "Centre des méats acoustiques externes (CAM)—Centre des têtes fémorales (HA)" était sensiblement vertical, mais situé en avant de la ligne de gravité à une distance moyenne de 30 mm. Il existait dans notre série une latéralisation à gauche de l'ensemble "Tête-Rachis-Pelvis" par rapport à la ligne de gravité avec une distance moyenne de 7,6±1,6 mm. L'explication proposée est l'absence de symétrie absolue de répartition de la masse corporelle de part et d'autre du plan sagittal (masse hépatique à droite).

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Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the whole team at the Paris ENSAM Laboratoire de Biomécanique, particularly V. Lafage, A. Mitulescu, S. Laporte, and N. Champain. We thank Prof. Dubousset at Saint Vincent de Paul hospital, Paris. We also thank the Service de Radiologie, Prof. Diard, Bordeaux CHU, and E. Jolivet for their help with data acquisition.

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  1. Unité de Pathologie Rachidienne, Service de chirurgie orthopédique, CHU de Bordeaux, hôpital Pellegrin, Place Amélie Raba Léon, 33076, Bordeaux, France

    N. Gangnet & J.-M. Vital

  2. Laboratoire de Biomécanique, ENSAM, Paris, France

    V. Pomero, R. Dumas & W. Skalli

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  1. N. Gangnet
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  2. V. Pomero
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  3. R. Dumas
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  4. W. Skalli
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Correspondence to N. Gangnet.

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Gangnet, N., Pomero, V., Dumas, R. et al. Variability of the spine and pelvis location with respect to the gravity line: a three-dimensional stereoradiographic study using a force platform. Surg Radiol Anat 25, 424–433 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-003-0154-6

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