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A new quasi-invariant parameter characterizing the postural alignment of young asymptomatic adults

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Abstract

Purpose

Our study aims to describe the postural alignment of young asymptomatic subjects from head to feet from bi-planar standing full-body X-rays, providing database to compare to aging adults. Novelty resides in the inclusion of the head and lower limbs in the erected posture’s analysis.

Methods

For 69 young asymptomatic subjects (18–40 years old) 3D reconstructions of the head, spine, pelvis and lower limbs segments were performed from bi-planar full-body X-rays. Usual studied spinal, pelvic and lower limbs’ parameters were computed in 3D, sagittal and frontal planes of the patient. Relationships between these parameters were investigated. Inclinations of different lines were studied to characterize the erected posture.

Results

Values found for spinal curvatures, pelvic parameters and lower limbs geometrical parameters agreed with the literature: thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis, pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt and sagittal vertical axis were respectively in average of 26.9° (SD 7.2°), 30.5° (SD 7.5°), 51.0° (SD 9.4°), 11.1° (SD 5.6°) and −8.9 mm (SD 21.6 mm). The angle between the vertical and the line joining the most superior point of dentiform apophyse of C2 (OD) and the center of the bi-coxofemoral axis (HA) was the less variable one (SD 1.6°).

Conclusions

This study on 3D postural alignment reports the geometry of the spine, pelvis and lower limbs, of the young asymptomatic adult. The less variable angle is the one of the line OD–HA with the vertical, highlighting the vertical alignment of the head above the pelvis. This study provides a basis for future comparisons when investigating aging populations.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank the ParisTech BiomecAM chair program on subject-specific musculoskeletal modeling, and in particular COVEA and Société Générale.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arts et Métiers ParisTech, LBM/Institut de Biomécanique Humaine Georges Charpak, 151 bd de l’Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France

    Celia Amabile, Hélène Pillet, Cédric Barrey & Wafa Skalli

  2. Spine Service, Hospital for Special Surgery, 535 East 70th Street, Belaire 4-E, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Celia Amabile & Virginie Lafage

  3. Department of Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery, P Wertheimer Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 59 Boulevard Pinel, 69003, Lyon, France

    Cédric Barrey

  4. Department of Orthopaedics and Spine Surgery, University Hospital of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

    Jean-Marc Vital

Authors
  1. Celia Amabile
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  2. Hélène Pillet
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  3. Virginie Lafage
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  4. Cédric Barrey
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  5. Jean-Marc Vital
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  6. Wafa Skalli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Celia Amabile.

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Conflict of interest

Wafa Skalli is the coinventor of the EOS system without direct/personal financial benefit. Her institution received financial support from the ParisTech Chair Program for research on musculoskeletal research.

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Amabile, C., Pillet, H., Lafage, V. et al. A new quasi-invariant parameter characterizing the postural alignment of young asymptomatic adults. Eur Spine J 25, 3666–3674 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-016-4552-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-016-4552-y

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