AB1106-HPR Alteration in Body Posture Is Related To Decreased Flexibility in Adolescents with A History of Low Back Pain: A Pilot Study

BackgroundLow back pain (LBP) is a significant public health problem among adolescent population. Postural alterations and decreased flexibility have been considered as possible risk factors for adolescent LBP. Thus, examination of posture and muscle flexibility is essential for determining any potential contributing factors (1–3). However, studies addressing the relationship between posture and flexibility in the adolescents with a history of LBP are limited.ObjectivesTo examine whether the alteration in three-dimensional (3D) body posture is related to flexibility in adolescents with a history of LBP.MethodsFourteen adolescent students (9 female, 5 male, median age 14 years) participated in this study. For 3D evaluation of posture, internet-based postural assessment system was used. Thirteen reflective markers were placed on anatomical landmarks of subjects. Three digital photographs were obtained in upright stance (antero-posterior, left-right lateral) and were analyzed through the system. Postural displacements of head, rib cage, and pelvis were calculated as rotations in degrees and translations in millimeters. Alteration in body posture (head, rib cage, and pelvis) was evaluated using posture index which is total postural displacements score. In this system, total score is 96 points. The higher posture index score indicates more severely displaced posture. Flexibility was measured by a sit-and-reach test. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (rho) was used to evaluate the association between the measured parameters. The significance level was set at p