Differences in kinematics of the lumbar spine and lower extremities between people with and without low back pain during the down phase of a pick up task, an observational study

Abstract Background Limited research exists on lumbar spine and lower extremity movement during functional tasks in people with and without low back pain (LBP). Objective To determine differences in lumbar spine and lower extremity kinematics in people with and without LBP during the down phase of a pick up task. Design Cross-sectional, observational study. Method 35 people (14 M, 21 F, 26.9 ± 10.9 years, 24.8 ± 3.2 kg/m2 ); 18 with and 17 without LBP were matched based on age, gender and BMI. Kinematics of the lumbar spine and lower extremities were measured using 3D motion capture, while subjects picked up an object off the floor. People with LBP were examined and assigned to movement-based LBP subgroups. Repeated measures ANOVA tests were conducted to determine the effect of group and region on lumbar spine and lower extremity kinematics. A secondary analysis was conducted to examine the effect of LBP subgroup on lumbar spine kinematics. Results Compared to controls, subjects with LBP displayed greater upper and less lower lumbar flexion (P