Inhaltszusammenfassung

Motivation: Intuitive assessment of spinal motion poses a tremendous challenge to both physicians and computer modelers. On the one side, medically detailed analyses of spinal shapes, such as computer tomography or X-ray images, are usually subject to static boundary constraints, thereby omitting dynamic information. On the other side, complex computer simulations often lack proper calibration aside from few control points, particularly regarding the three-dimensional arrangement of the spina...Motivation: Intuitive assessment of spinal motion poses a tremendous challenge to both physicians and computer modelers. On the one side, medically detailed analyses of spinal shapes, such as computer tomography or X-ray images, are usually subject to static boundary constraints, thereby omitting dynamic information. On the other side, complex computer simulations often lack proper calibration aside from few control points, particularly regarding the three-dimensional arrangement of the spinal column and its idiomotion. Purpose: Here, we investigate whether the full three-dimensional changes in spinal shape over time can be concisely detected and depicted. Further, we assess which parts of the spine undergo significant changes during various daily activities. Methods: We utilize a set of previously published motion capture data from the spinous processes (sacrum up to vertebra C7) of 17 healthy individuals performing the daily tasks of standing, walking, stair climbing, sitting down, and lifting. These three-dimensional, time-dependent marker positions were approximated by a Bézier curve at each time instant. The curves’ characteristics, i.e. curvature and torsion, were calculated and juxtaposed for each individual and each activity over time. A statistical parametric mapping revealed significant changes in spinal shape. Results: We found the individual spinal shape characteristics being recognizably preserved during all activities. The walking task did not significantly alter the spinal curvature, while sitting and forward bending significantly altered the lumber and whole spine curvature, respectively. Torsion did not show any significant alterations. Conclusion: Based on these results, we suggest that individualized dynamic information on spinal shapes can improve (i) the evaluation of (healthy) motion characteristics, (ii) the detection of pathologies, and (iii) individualized computer simulation models.» weiterlesen» einklappen

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