Postural Evaluation in Young Healthy Adults through a Digital and Reproducible Method

The Relationship between Sleep Quality and Posture: A Study on University Students

The aim of this study is to investigate body posture, physical exercises, head-neck relationship, and sleep quality among university students. A total of 96 students, with an average age of 20.86 ± 1.24 years and an average BMI of 23.41 ± 2.56, voluntarily participated in the study. The REEDCO Posture Evaluation (RPE) was used to assess the participants' body posture scores. Head and neck measurements were taken using the Apecs-AI Posture Evaluation and Correction System® (Apecs Posture Analysis Pro Plus Version 8.2.6). Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that increased caffeine consumption was associated with poorer sleep quality (r = 0.267, p < 0.05). Additionally, increased participation in physical activities was associated with improved sleep quality, with those engaging in sports having better sleep quality scores (r = -0.278, p < 0.05). As physical activity increased, REEDCO scores decreased (r = -0.423, p < 0.05), while scores for right head (r = 0.210, p < 0.05) and left head (r = 0.247, p < 0.05) increased. Significant negative correlations were found between REEDCO scores and right head (r = -0.296, p < 0.05) and left head (r = -0.463, p < 0.05) scores. In conclusion, due to the limited number of studies investigating head-neck relationships and sleep quality, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn; further and more comprehensive research is needed.

Comparison of postural assessment and awareness in individuals receiving posture training using the digital AI posture assessment and correction system

Objectives. This study aimed to compare postural assessment and postural awareness using the artificial intelligence posture evaluation and correction system (APECS) in individuals receiving posture training. Methods. Participants' physical characteristics were recorded. The participants' posture was evaluated with APECS and the New York posture rating chart test (NYPR), and their body and postural awareness was evaluated with the body awareness questionnaire (BAQ), postural awareness form (PAF) and postural habits and awareness scale (PHAS). Results. In the study, results of the PAF (p = 0.000), BAQ (p = 0.013) and PHAS (p = 0.033) were found to be different between the groups. While the groups were similar in the PHAS sub-dimension of postural habit (p = 0.331), there was a significant difference between the groups in postural awareness (p = 0.04). NYPR results of the participants in the group receiving posture training were similar to those in the group not receiving posture training (p = 0.45). Conclusion. Postural deviations measured by digital posture assessment in individuals receiving posture training were significantly different in the group receiving posture training. Postural awareness and body awareness were better in individuals who received posture training than in individuals who did not receive posture training.

Biomechanical Posture Analysis in Healthy Adults with Machine Learning: Applicability and Reliability

Posture analysis is important in musculoskeletal disorder prevention but relies on subjective assessment. This study investigates the applicability and reliability of a machine learning (ML) pose estimation model for the human posture assessment, while also exploring the underlying structure of the data through principal component and cluster analyses. A cohort of 200 healthy individuals with a mean age of 24.4 ± 4.2 years was photographed from the frontal, dorsal, and lateral views. We used Student's t-test and Cohen's effect size (d) to identify gender-specific postural differences and used the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) to assess the reliability of this method. Our findings demonstrate distinct sex differences in shoulder adduction angle (men: 16.1° ± 1.9°, women: 14.1° ± 1.5°, d = 1.14) and hip adduction angle (men: 9.9° ± 2.2°, women: 6.7° ± 1.5°, d = 1.67), with no significant differences in horizontal inclinations. ICC analysis, with the highest value of 0.95, confirms the reliability of the approach. Principal component and clustering analyses revealed potential new patterns in postural analysis such as significant differences in shoulder-hip distance, highlighting the potential of unsupervised ML for objective posture analysis, offering a promising non-invasive method for rapid, reliable screening in physical therapy, ergonomics, and sports.

Relation between Photogrammetry and Spinal Mouse for Lumbopelvic Assessment in Adolescents with Thoracic Kyphosis

The evaluation of the lumbopelvic region is a crucial point during postural assessment in childhood and adolescence. Photogrammetry (PG) and Spinal Mouse (SM) are two of the most debated tools to properly analyze postural alignment and avoid misleading data. This study aims to find out the best linear regression model that could relate the analytic measurements of the SM with one or more PG parameters in adolescents with kyphotic postures. Thirty-nine adolescents (female = 35.9%) with structural and non-structural kyphosis were analyzed (13.2 ± 1.8 years; 1.59 ± 0.12 m; 47.6 ± 11.8 kg) using the SM and PG on the sagittal plane in a standing and forward-bending position, allowing for the measurement of body vertical inclination, lumbar and pelvic alignment, trunk flexion, sacral inclination during bending, and hip position during bending. Lordosis lumbar angles (SM) were significantly (r = -0.379, r = -0.328) correlated with the SIPS-SIAS angle (PG) during upright standing, while in the bending position, the highest correlation appeared among the sacral-hip (SM) and the sacral tangent (ST_PG; r = -0.72) angles. The stepwise backward procedure was assessed to estimate the SM variability in the bending and standing positions. Only in the bending position did the linear regression model reach high goodness-of-fit values with two regressors (ST_PG η2=0.504, BMI η2=0.252; adjusted- R2 =0.558, p < 0.001, CCC = 0.972, r = 0.763). Despite gold-standard methods reducing error evaluation, physicians and kinesiologists may consider photogrammetry as a good method for spinal curve prediction.

The Future in Motion: Insights and Update from the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology

In the evolving landscape of human movement, the Journal of Functional Movement and Kinesiology (JFMK) serves as a valuable chronicle, providing a lens through which to explore our present and the perspectives for the future of human movement analysis [...].

3D Analysis of Human Movement, Sport, and Health Promotion

This Special Issue, "3D Analysis of Human Movement, Sport, and Health Promotion", aimed to collect studies that assessed motor functions and alterations [...].

The Effect of TMJ Intervention on Instant Postural Changes and Dystonic Contractions in Patients Diagnosed with Dystonia: A Pilot Study

(1) Background: The aim of the present study is to analyze the instant postural changes and changes in the dystonic contractions among patients with dystonia following the use of an intraoral device called a key integrative dynamic TMJ treatment appliance (KIDTA). (2) Methods: Twelve subjects, previously diagnosed with dystonia were enrolled. Their existing records were utilized to assess the changes in their posture and dystonic contractions. The posture analysis was conducted using a mobile application (APECS). The initial records (T0) and records acquired after the delivery of the KIDTA (T1) were utilized in the analysis. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to compare parameters between T0 and T1, with a significance level set at p < 0.05. (3) Results: Based on the Wilcoxon signed-rank test, statistically significant differences in T1 compared to T0 were observed in the severity of dystonic spasms, body alignment, head shift, head tilt, shoulder alignment, shoulder angle, axillae alignment, ribcage tilt, pelvic tilt, knee angle, and tibia angle (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Within the limitations of the present pilot study, an intervention to the TMJ through a KIDTA appliance seems to mitigate the severity of dystonic contractions and improve the posture with respect to certain postural parameters.

Relation between Photogrammetry and Spinal Mouse for Sagittal Imbalance Assessment in Adolescents with Thoracic Kyphosis

The evaluation of postural alignment in childhood and adolescence is fundamental for sports, health, and daily life activities. Spinal Mouse (SM) and photogrammetry (PG) are two of the most debated tools in postural evaluation because choosing the proper instrument is also important to avoid false or misleading data. This research aims to find out the best linear regression models that could relate the analytic kyphosis measurements of the SM with one or more PG parameters of body posture in adolescents with kyphotic posture. Thirty-four adolescents with structural and non-structural kyphosis were analyzed (13.1 ± 1.8 years; 1.59 ± 0.13 m; 47.0 ± 12.2 kg) using SM and PG on the sagittal plane in a standing and forward-bending position, allowing us to measure body vertical inclination, trunk flexion, and sacral inclination and hip position during bending. The stepwise backward procedure was assessed to estimate the variability of the grade of inclination of the spine and thoracic spine curvature with fixed upper and lower limits, evaluated with SM during flexion. In both models, the PG angle between the horizontal line and a line connecting the sacral endplate-C7 spinous process and the PG hip position were the best regressors (adjusted-R2 SM bend = 0.804, p < 0.001; adjusted-R2 SM fixed bending = 0.488, p < 0.001). Several Spinal Mouse and photogrammetry parameters showed significant correlations, especially when the Spinal Mouse measurements were taken when the adolescents were in the forward-bending position. Physicians and kinesiologists may consider photogrammetry as a good method for spinal curve prediction.