Spine stability: lessons from balancing a stick.
This paper introduces control concepts that are important for ensuring stability. To clarify these concepts, a series of experiments using a simple task of stick balancing will be performed. The lessons from these experiments will be applied to the spine system and illustrated with clinical examples. Insight into the following will be gained: what information is used to stabilize the spine, how does noise in control affect spine performance, how has the spine evolved to allow it to be stabilized and controlled in a metabolically efficient way, how do delays in control affect spine performance, and how do different goals (i.e., maximizing performance versus minimizing fatigue) affect the logic for controlling the spine?
Osteopathic Surgical Specialties, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, 2727 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Lansing, MI 48910, USA. reevesn@msu.edu
N Peter
NP
Reeves
Kumpati S
KS
Narendra
Jacek
J
Cholewicki
D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D005221:Fatigue; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D009068:Movement; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal; D009424:Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; D011187:Posture; D011434:Proprioception; D013131:Spine / Q000502:physiology*