title: A comparative analysis of static balance between patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis and asymptomatic participants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess static balance in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis who qualified for surgical decompression of associated neural structures and compare them with asymptomatic participants.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-controlled study evaluated a sample of 50 patients with spinal canal stenosis (stenosis group) and 48 participants with no history of clinical symptoms of back pain. Static balance was assessed by conducting quantitative analysis of balance reaction parameters in quiet standing with the eyes closed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher values were observed in total length of center of pressure (COP) path, length of COP path in the anterior-posterior plane, mean amplitude of COP projection in the anterior-posterior plane, maximal amplitude between the 2 most distant points in the anterior-posterior plane, mean COP velocity, and sway area marked by the moving COP in the stenosis group compared with the asymptomatic group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed statistically significant differences in static balance parameters between patients with spinal canal stenosis compared with the asymptomatic group.
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland. Electronic address: aleksandra.rapala@wp.pl.
authors.forename: Aleksandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Truszczyńska
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Institute of Physiotherapy, University of Rzeszów, Rzeszów, Poland.
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drzał-Grabiec
authors.affiliation: Professor, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Trzaskoma
authors.affiliation: Professor, Physiotherapy Department, University of Social Science, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Kazimierz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rąpała
authors.affiliation: Professor, Faculty of Psychology, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarnowski
authors.affiliation: Professor, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport in Biała Podlaska, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Krystyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Górniak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
keywords: Lumbar Vertebrae; Postural Balance; Spinal Stenosis