title: The relationships between spinal sagittal configuration, joint mobility, general low back mobility and segmental mobility in female homecare personnel.
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate joint mobility, segmental and general spinal mobility and their interrelationship in 607 women working as homecare personnel. Joint mobility (mainly peripheral) was estimated using the "Beighton" score. Spinal posture and mobility were measured by Debrunner's kyphometer. Passive segmental mobility and pain provocation were estimated manually. Reliability tests between two physiotherapists of segmental mobility and pain provocation (n = 150 subjects) were performed. Positive correlations were found between joint mobility, sagittal thoraco-lumbar mobility and segmental mobility. Hyperlordosis (>39 degrees) was associated with greater lumbar mobility. The reliability of manual segmental mobility and segmental pain provocation was good, especially in the lowest back segments (kappa approximately 0.7). Joint mobility, general mobility and segmental spinal mobility intercorrelated. Segmental mobility manually estimated showed intertester reliability. The good positive correlation between sagittal lumbar mobility and manually tested segmental mobility indicates criterion validity for the latter.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping, Sweden.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lundberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerdle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017028:Caregivers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000502:physiology*; D016014:Linear Models; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013121:Spinal Curvatures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D013131:Spine / Q000502:physiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden