title: A method for dynamic measurement of lumbar lordosis.
abstract: Trunk flexion-extension is accomplished with pelvic and thoracic rotation in the sagittal plane and a smooth coordination of lumbar vertebral translation and rotation. Several systems exist that measure gross trunk movements, but they typically do not track changes in lumbar arc length or curvature. A method for dynamic measurement of changes in lumbar arc length that uses a lordosimeter is presented. A static validation study of postures showed that the measurements are repeatable and compare favorably with a standard measure of lumbar curvature. In a dynamic validation study of a lifting task with a 23-kg load, the measurement method was highly correlated with thoracic and pelvic angular displacement. A discussion of the utility of this measure in biomechanical modeling is presented. A clinical or field version of the lordosimeter is also described.
authors.affiliation: Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health, Hopkinton, Massachusetts 01748, USA. raymond.mcgorry@libertymutual.com
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: McGorry
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hsiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D006801:Humans; D008141:Lordosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology